Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the ruling party in Jharkhand, wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her intervention after the delay in take-off of Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s helicopter in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s safety.

JMM leader Manoj Pandey said, “This is a very serious matter. In a democracy, there should be a level playing field for campaigning during elections. A level playing field should be provided to all parties. But it was openly violated.” .

A dictatorial government prevented a popular CM, our star activist, a tribal son, from campaigning for elections, he said, adding that there was a delay of 1.5 to 2 hours, though it was not necessary.

“Our leader had to fly in a helicopter from Gudri and had to go to another place, very far from Ranchi. But he did not receive clearance from ATC. If these things happen, you can understand how frustrated and dejected they are. They have stooped to a level where our helicopter is not allowed to fly, we cannot campaign for elections and we are delayed and there is obstruction in our protests,” the JMM leader said.

These things are being done at the behest of the BJP government (at the Centre), he added.

“It is highly objectionable. The President is the guardian of our democratic rights and we have written to her asking her to intervene and monitor the matter. Because we do not trust the Election Commission,” Pandey said.

PM Modi addresses two rallies in Jharkhand

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at two rallies in vote-prone Jharkhand. The prime minister attended BJP rallies in Chaibasa and Garhwa. After addressing the Garhwa rally, the prime minister headed to Ranchi and traveled to Chaibasa, where he participated in another rally around 2:30 p.m.

Also read: EC reschedules elections in UP, Punjab and Kerala from November 13 to 20