'Had to keep waiting': Kharge blames PM for delay in Bihar rally; accuses BJP of blocking Congress campaign

NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was responsible for the delay in the commencement of his rally in Bihar’s Chenari assembly segment. The rally, initially scheduled earlier in the day, began nearly two hours late, reported PTI.

Kharge claimed that security officials at the airport asked him to wait until PM’s aircraft had taken off, forcing him to remain inside his helicopter for about 90 minutes.

“I would have reached in time, but security officials at the airport told me I must wait till Narendra Modi's aircraft takes off. So I had to keep waiting inside my helicopter for about an hour and a half,” he said, as quoted by the agency.

He also alleged that the BJP frequently obstructs Congress campaigns. “BJP wallahs always keep coming in our way. Modi spends most of his time abroad and is seen in the country only at the time of elections. He has no qualms about canvassing even in Panchayat and municipal elections,” Kharge added.

On Friday, PM Modi addressed two rallies in the neighbouring districts of Aurangabad and Kaimur, coinciding with Kharge’s scheduled appearance in Rohtas. The remarks come amid intensifying campaigning ahead of the second and final phase of voting for Bihar Assembly elections .