Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft was hit by a technical snag at Jharkhand’s Deoghar airport on Friday, resulting in a delay in his return to the national capital.

Later, Modi left for Delhi from Deoghar in another aircraft after a delay of more than two hours, sources said.

Modi’s aircraft was grounded at Jharkhand’s Deoghar airport due to a technical issue, after he flew in there on his way to Bihar’s Jamui to participate in an event commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.

After landing at Deoghar airport, he proceeded to Jamui by helicopter. However, upon completing the event and returning to Deoghar airport for his flight back to Delhi, his aircraft could not take off due to a technical problem.

PM Modi addressed two rallies in Bihar on the occasion of tribal icon Birsa Munda’s anniversary, which is celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, and ahead of the second round of polling for the Assembly elections in the state on November 20.

Due to the Prime Minister’s visit, Deoghar was declared a no-fly zone, which also affected the travel plans of other leaders. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and JMM star campaigner Kalpana Soren, both in Jharkhand for election campaigning, faced delays as their helicopters were not allowed to take off.

Rahul Gandhi, who had addressed a rally in Meharma, Godda district earlier in the day, was left waiting as his helicopter was grounded.

Congress workers protested about the delay. Mahagama MLA and Congress candidate Deepika Pandey Singh expressed her frustration, alleging that, “Just because the Prime Minister is in Deoghar, Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to pass through that airspace. We understand protocols, but Congress governed this country for 70 years, and such incidents never happened to opposition leaders. This is unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, Kalpana Soren also could not reach on time for a public meeting of the INDIA bloc at Sonwa Dangal (Rikhiya) for the Deoghar Assembly due to the no-fly zone restrictions. According to sources, her helicopter was also held back due to the presence of the Prime Minister’s plane at Deoghar Airport.