The Airports Authority of India has lodged an FIR against UP Congress leader Ajay Rai in Varanasi after he allegedly claimed in a social media post that party MP Rahul Gandhi’s flight was not allowed to land at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (LBSIA) in Varanasi by the Authority under the UP-government’s pressure.
Acting on the social media claim by the congress leader, director of the airport Ajay Kumar Pathak, Phulpur police has lodged the FIR against Rai, under IPC sections 505(2) (making statement containing rumour or alarming news with intent to create or promote enmity, hatred), 500 (defamation) and 501 (engraving matter known to be defamatory).
The content of the FIR says that on February 13, Rai tweeted a video claiming that AAI Varanasi did not allow Rahul Gandhi’s to land at the Varanasi airport.
The AAI officials have clarified in the FIR that the aircraft operator AR Airways had filed a request land the VTARC aircraft with Rahul Gandhi on board from Kannur to Varanasi on February 13. “The flight plan for Varanasi was cancelled by the operator on the request of the guests on board. It also intimated the decision to ATCs of Kannur and Varanasi on February 13,” the AAI officials have claimed in the FIR.
