The centre on 9 September rejected Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s accusation that he would skip the G20 dinner scheduled for the same day due to air restrictions in and around the national capital and clarified that movement of governors and CMs on their state aircraft was not prohibited.
While a high-tech security air cover has been deployed for the G20 Leaders Summit in Delhi from September 8 to 11, the home ministry made it clear to the states that the movement of Governors and Chief Ministers on their official aircraft is permitted.
MHA has clarified to the State that while a high tech security air cover has been deployed for G20 Leaders’ Summit at Delhi on 8-11 September 2023, movement of Governors and State Chief Ministers on their State aircrafts are allowed. (2/2)
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) September 9, 2023
On 8 September, Bhupesh Baghel claimed that he would not be attending the President’s G20 dinner as there were no non-scheduled flights going in and out of Delhi due to security measures for the ongoing summit on 9 and 10 September. “Delhi has become a no-fly zone now. How do I go,” he asked.
The MHA also responded to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s allegation that the ministry on 8 September did not allow his helicopter to go from Udaipur to Sikar following which his programme was cancelled. He was set to visit Sangliya Peeth in Sikar as part of the death anniversary programme of Baba Shri Khinwadas Ji Maharaj.
The ministry spokesperson affirmed, “Four requests were received from CM Rajasthan for flight permissions, including for Sikar, and all were approved by the MHA. No request from CM Rajasthan has been denied.” It was also reiterated that private chartered flights need explicit MHA approval whereas all regularly scheduled commercial aircraft flights and the transfer of governors and state chief ministers aboard state aircraft are authorised.
No request from CM Rajasthan has been denied. While all scheduled flights of commercial Aircrafts and movement of Governors and State Chief Ministers on their State aircrafts are allowed, private chartered flights require specific MHA approval. (2/2)
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) September 9, 2023
The veteran Congressman reacted to the clarification and remarked, “Yesterday I had a plan to go from Udaipur to Jaipur by plane and from Jaipur to Sikar and from Sikar to Niwai by helicopter. For this, the helicopter had to reach Jaipur from Udaipur in advance, but it was said that due to the protocol of G-20, the helicopter or plane can travel only when the CM himself is on board.”
He continued, “Permission to fly the helicopter was sought through e-mail at 10.48 AM but permission was not received till 2.50 PM. To give information to the public waiting there, I tweeted at 2:52 PM and explained the reason for not being able to come and also called Shri Om Das Maharaj at Sangliya Peeth and informed him. After this, permission came at 3.58 PM but by then I had left from Udaipur for Jaipur by plane and after reaching Jaipur, I was cleared by road.”
He alleged, “I did not want to create any controversy in the name of G-20, hence did not condemn it and only informed the public about the facts. But now I am sad that the Home Ministry has made an unsuccessful attempt to spread confusion among the public by giving wrong information.”
कल मेरा उदयपुर से जयपुर प्लेन से एवं जयपुर से सीकर एवं सीकर से निवाई हेलिकॉप्टर से जाने का कार्यक्रम था। इसके लिए हेलिकॉप्टर को एडवांस में उदयपुर से जयपुर पहुंचना था परन्तु ऐसा बताया कि जी-20 के प्रोटोकॉल कारण हेलिकॉप्टर या प्लेन तभी यात्रा कर सकते हैं जब CM स्वयं उसमें सवार हो।… https://t.co/owGA3oJetl
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) September 9, 2023
The Rajasthan chief minister had earlier wrote, “Today, there was a planned visit to Sanglia Peeth, Sikar in the programme of death anniversary of Baba Shri Khinwadas Ji Maharaj, but due to G-20 meeting, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India did not allow helicopter to go from Udaipur to Sikar in the airspace, because of which today I am not able to reach Sangliya Peeth.
He further added, “Spoke to the Peethadhishwar Shri Om Das Maharaj of Sangliya Peeth on the phone and informed him. I will soon visit Sangliya Peeth to seek blessings.”
आज बाबा श्री खींवादास जी महाराज की पुण्यतिथि के कार्यक्रम में सांगलिया पीठ, सीकर जाने का कार्यक्रम था परन्तु जी-20 की बैठक के कारण गृह मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार ने एयरस्पेस में उदयपुर से सीकर हेलिकॉप्टर से जाने की अनुमति नहीं दी जिसके कारण आज सांगलिया पीठ नहीं पहुंच पा रहा हूं।…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) September 8, 2023
President Droupadi Murmu is set to hold a G20 dinner for world leaders and the chief ministers of states ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance like Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma, Haryana’s Manohar Lal Khattar, Maharashtra’s Eknath Shinde, Gujarat’s Bhupendra Patel and Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami are going to be a part of it.
Many opposition leaders have boycotted the event and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh is the only Congress chief minister who has so far confirmed his attendance.
