Abhishek Banerjee alleges delay to helicopter clearance by ‘anti-Bengal forces’

Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday (January 6, 2026) alleged that “anti-Bengal forces” delayed clearance for his helicopter to fly, forcing him to reach here nearly two hours later than scheduled for a meeting.

His chopper took off from the Behala Flying Club airstrip on the western fringes of Kolkata at around 2.20 p.m., after he secured an aircraft belonging to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, as mandatory permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had not arrived for his helicopter.

Mr. Banerjee was originally scheduled to fly from Kolkata at around 12:30 p.m., a party source said.

He was scheduled to pay obeisance at the Tarapith Kali Temple and address a public meeting in Rampurhat. He began addressing the gathering at 3:45 p.m., much later than planned.

“I am late in reaching this venue because of a conspiracy by ‘Bangla birodhis’ [opponents of Bengal]. They were not permitting my helicopter to fly,” Mr. Banerjee said at the rally.

“I used my wits and spoke to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, requesting him to allow me to use his helicopter instead so that I am able to reach this venue at a respectable time. If they are determined to stop me from reaching this meeting, I am 10 times more stubborn than they are,” the Trinamool MP added.

Mr. Banerjee had also announced plans to meet repatriated Birbhum migrant Sunali Khatun later in the day at the Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital, where she gave birth to a baby boy on Monday, and convey his greetings.

Alleging a “conspiracy hatched by the Bharatiya Janata Party” to derail Mr. Banerjee’s schedule, Trinamool MP Samirul Islam said, “The BJP is afraid of Abhishek Mr. Banerjee’s meetings. That’s why they are resorting to such tactics to delay his arrival. Such moves won’t work.”

Union Minister and former BJP State president Sukanta Majumdar termed the allegation “baseless”.

“We are not privy to the DGCA’s operational details. It allows the movement of aircraft when it finds that routes are clear. The safety of the VIPs flying in planes or helicopters is primary to the DGCA, and a little delay in flight is always preferred if it ensures that the security of the person is not compromised,” Mr. Majumdar said.