The Election Commission officials on Friday checked the helicopter and bags of Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his election rally in the Hingoli Assembly segment of Maharashtra.

The Union Home Minister, taking to X, shared a video which showcased that election officials were checking the helicopter ferrying him and his bags.

“Today, during my election campaign in the Hingoli Assembly constituency of Maharashtra, my helicopter was inspected by Election Commission officials,” Shah said.

The Home Minister said the BJP believes in a free and fair elections process and follows all the rules made by the Election Commission. “We all must contribute to a healthy election system and perform our duties in keeping India as the strongest democracy in the world,” he added.

Shah was in the state to campaign for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance ahead of the November 20 Assembly elections.

The issue of poll officials checking politicians’ luggage entered electoral discourse after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray filmed his bags being inspected and shared the video of it.

He also sought to know if the election officials had checked the bags of the Chief Minister, the state’s two deputy CMs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.

The officials had checked the bags of Thackeray on Monday and Tuesday, after his arrival in Yavatmal and Latur, respectively.

The election body officials on Wednesday checked the bags of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale.

Shinde’s bags were checked at the Palghar police ground helipad after his arrival for the election campaign in the state.

Taking a jibe at the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, Shinde said, “Let them check, they are doing their duty.” Whereas, Ramdas Athawale’s bags were checked by the officers after he arrived in Pune by helicopter.

According to the Election Commission of India, the aircraft and helicopters of top leaders across the political spectrum are checked as part of the standard operating procedure.

The Congress on Friday criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government for its blatant efforts to deny justice to Adivasis, labeling the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) as a mockery of the Forest Rights Act, which highlights the government’s hypocrisy.

The Opposition party asserted that DAJGUA, in a “typical Manuvadi fashion,” perceives these communities merely as forest-dwelling ‘vanvasis’ and ‘labhaartis’ (beneficiaries), rather than recognizing them as political and economic entities in their own right.

In a post on X, Congress General Secretary for Communications Jairam Ramesh said that today marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of ‘Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda,’ one of India’s greatest figures and a staunch proponent of self-governance and social justice.

He accused the Prime Minister of merely paying lip service to Adivasi issues while his government intensified efforts to undermine their justice.

Ramesh pointed out that although DAJGUA is named after Bhagwan Birsa Munda, it fundamentally undermines the Forest Rights Act and demonstrates governmental hypocrisy.

Ramesh emphasised that the 2006 Forest Rights Act (FRA), enacted by the then-Manmohan Singh government, was a groundbreaking piece of legislation that transferred forest control from the forest department to the gram sabha. This act also designated the Ministry of Tribal Affairs as the nodal authority for its implementation, marking a significant shift in power dynamics.

He stated that the FRA empowered Adivasi communities and ‘Gram Sabhas’ to manage forests, contributing to democratic governance. However, he criticised Modi’s administration for what he termed a “counter-revolution,” contending that DAJGUA essentially reverses the progress made by these historic reforms in forest governance.

Ramesh claimed that DAJGUA undermines the authority of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs by enabling the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change to oversee FRA implementation.

Instead of strengthening the statutory bodies established by the FRA—such as the Gram Sabha, sub-divisional committee, district committee, and state monitoring committee—DAJGUA introduces a parallel structure of FRA cells at the district and sub-divisional levels. These cells operate under centralised bureaucratic control without accountability to the statutory bodies of the FRA.

Furthermore, DAJGUA engages technical agencies, domain experts, and corporate NGOs for FRA implementation and community forest rights management activities, as facilitated by the State Tribal Welfare Departments, said Ramesh.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi faced an unexpected delay after his helicopter remained grounded in Jharkhand’s Godda awaiting clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC).

Reportedly, the helicopter was allowed to take off after a delay of 45 minutes amid high-stakes campaigning for the final phase of the state’s assembly elections.

The Congress alleged that the hold-up was a calculated move to disrupt Rahul Gandhi’s campaign schedule. Reports said that the party leaders pointed fingers at Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi’s rally in Chakai, about 150 kilometres from Godda, suggesting that the Air Traffic Control’s decision prioritised the PM’s event over Mr Gandhi’s movements.

Congress MLA from Mahagama Constituency, Deepika Pandey Singh said that just because the PM is in Deogarh, Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to cross that area. Calling the delay unacceptable, the Congress MLA said that there is the protocol they understand but Congress ruled the country for 70 years and such an incident never happened with any opposition leader. 

She further added that during Lok Sabha election BJP have frozen bank accounts, created hurdles for the opposition, and now the party is obstructing their campaign efforts to prevent them from contesting election on equal footing. 

Earlier, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren sought President’s intervention over the delay in his chopper takeoff due to concern over PM Narendra Modi’s security. Kalpana Soren also alleged that she was prevented from flying to campaign in Latehar and accused the BJP and opposition parties for hindering the party’s effort to reach people.  

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft experienced a technical glitch due to which the aircraft had to remain at the Deogharh airport causing a delay in his return to the national capital. 

The first phase of Jharkhand Assembly Election 2024 was held on November 13. The second phase will be held on November 20. The results for the election will be declared on November 23.