Overview
- The TMC leader said mandatory DGCA clearance for his designated helicopter did not arrive, prompting him to borrow Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s aircraft.
- He was slated to depart Kolkata at 12:30 pm, took off from Behala around 2:20 pm, and began speaking in Rampurhat at 3:45 pm.
- The DGCA cites certification issues for operator M/S Carewell Aviation, noting an air operator permit was issued at about 2:30 pm on January 6 following required checks and documentation.
- TMC figures framed the delay as a BJP conspiracy, while Union minister Sukanta Majumdar dismissed the charge and emphasized safety-led clearance procedures.
- The disruption affected plans to visit the Tarapith Kali Temple and to meet repatriated Birbhum migrant Sunali Khatun at Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital.