Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a rally virtually in West Bengal’s Nadia after failed to reach the rally site due to dense fog. His helicopter had to return to Kolkata airport after failing to land at the Taherpur helipad due to low visibility this afternoon. It hovered over the helipad for some time and took a U-turn, officials said.
He also apologised to those who attended the rally in Taherpur for not being able to address them in person.
At the rally, the prime minister launched an attack on the ruling Trinamool, accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led party of shielding illegal immigrants. The Trinamool backs the infiltrators, and that’s why they are opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, he thundered during his virtual speech.
“Let Trinamool oppose me and BJP as much as it wants, but Bengal’s progress should not be stopped,” he said, alleging that developmental works in the state suffer due to the ruling dispensation’s indifference.
PM Modi reached Kolkata this morning for the Taherpur rally in Nadia district. The plan was to take a chopper to Taherpur, where he is scheduled to launch highway projects in the state. A BJP rally, titled Parivartan Sankalpa Sabha, is scheduled next.
Two separate platforms had been raised for the prime minister’s two programmes. He is supposed to launch government projects from one dais and move to another for the political rally.
At the Taherpur rally, the Prime Minister was expected to kick off the BJP’s campaign for the 2026 Bengal elections and counter the Trinamool Congress on the citizenship issue of the Matua community.