Rahul Gandhi's helicopter searched by poll officials in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris

New Delhi: A chopper carrying top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was checked by election officials in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris on Monday.

The flying squad of the election authorities conducted the searches after the chopper landed in Nilgiris. Gandhi was on his way to his parliamentary constituency, Kerala’s Wayanad, where he had a slew of campaign activities, including public meetings.

Hours after Gandhi's chopper was checked, Congress said that the authorities should also check choppers and vehicles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and should not be given "special category status".

"It is fine. But then check the choppers carrying the Prime Minister and Home Minister. Day before yesterday, they checked by vehicle (in Assam). They took out the toothpaste, shaving cream, checked suitcase etc. They can do it. But they should do it for the Prime Minister and Home Minister too," Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said said.

Checking the choppers of Modi and Shah will provide a level playing field, he said adding, "don't give special category status to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister," he said.

The checking of Rahul's chopper came days after Trinamool Congress said a chopper which was flying its General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was also searched by Income Tax officials.

In West Bengal's Cooch Behar, Trinamool supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also raised a similar demand asking the IT officials to check the choppers used by BJP leaders.

"Income Tax officials conducted a raid and searched Abhishek Banerjee's chopper before the trial run but found nothing. Those I-T officials claimed that we had inputs that there was money and gold in the chopper, but they found nothing. We don't engage in such acts. It is the BJP that is involved in such things. But will the officials of the central agency ever dare to check BJP leaders' choppers," she said.