Permission denied for Yogi's chopper

Based on the direction from the Election Commission of India (ECI), the district election officer, Dharwad, on Tuesday denied permission to land the chopper of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The BJP’s local unit had filed an application, seeking the DEO’s permission for the Yogi’s helicopter to land in Dharwad on April 17 (Wednesday), where he was to address a public gathering.

Even as the DEO was examining the application, the ECI on Tuesday sent a directive that Adityanath had been barred by it from campaigning for 72 hours starting from Tuesday morning over his ‘objectionable’ speech in Meerut.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister was to address public meetings in favour of BJP candidates Shivakumar Udasi (Haveri), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) in Gadag and Dharwad on Wednesday.

“His scheduled programme fell under the 72-hour period during which he had been banned from campaigning and hence the DEO denied permission for his chopper to land in Dharwad” said DEO and DC Deepa Cholan.