Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday canceled his campaign in Meghalaya as the chopper he was traveling in could not land at Umroi Airport in Shillong due to poor visibility and inclement weather.
Amit Shah, who was scheduled to address two election rallies in Shillong, was on his way to the Meghalaya capital from Dimapur after attending another election rally in Nagaland.
The Union home minister spoke to the gathering at Gorkha Pathshala Field in the city under West Shillong constituency over phone explaining his inability to come and the need to ensure a corruption-free government in Meghalaya.
He was to attend the public meeting at 4 pm at Gorkha Field. The announcement came at 5.45 pm. People also waited for him at another venue at Golf Links under Pynthorumkhrah in Meghalaya. He was to address the rally there at 6 pm.
It may be noted that on several reports emerged yesterday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been denied permission by the Meghalaya government to hold an election rally in the state.
However, Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People's Party (NPP) supremo Conrad K Sangma asserted that neither he nor his party had any role in denying permission for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally at the PA Sangma Sports Complex in Tura.
The Meghalaya sports department has informed the West Garo Hills district authorities that permission cannot be given for the PM's rally there as construction debris may pose safety concerns.
The saffron party, which last month snapped ties with ally NPP in Meghalaya ahead of the February 27 assembly election, alleged that the ruling party was trying to stall a "wave of the BJP" in the state.
In a statement issued here, the Meghalaya chief minister said that the accusation made by the BJP was false as permissions for rallies are given by the Election Commission and the district administration is now a part of it.
