Mamata Alleges Sabotage in Chopper Cancellation

• Mamata Banerjee alleges “political sabotage” after her Bongaon chopper ride was cancelled.
• Officials say the helicopter’s licence had expired; operator issued a show-cause notice.
• CM warns BJP she “cannot be cornered” and turns road travel into a public outreach pitch.
• Her remarks come amid rising fear over SIR verification and reports of deaths linked to anxiety.

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 25th Nov: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of sabotage after her scheduled helicopter ride to Bongaon was abruptly cancelled, warning the opposition party not to “play” with her and asserting that she “cannot be cornered.”

Banerjee, who was supposed to land in Bongaon at 12:30 pm, said she was informed at 10 am that the hired helicopter “would not fly,” forcing her to travel by road. She eventually reached the venue around 2 pm, where she addressed a large public meeting amid widespread panic linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

However, senior officials clarified that the trip was cancelled after they discovered the helicopter assigned for her travel was operating with an expired licence. The operator has been issued a show-cause notice. The aircraft, which Banerjee had not used for nearly six months, underwent a mandatory trial flight on Monday, during which the licence lapse was not flagged.

“The licence expiry should have been immediately reported. Allowing a trial flight without verifying documents is unacceptable,” a top bureaucrat said.

Banerjee, who travelled over 100 km from Kolkata to Bongaon by road, alleged “political reasons” behind the situation. She said the sudden cancellation turned into an opportunity for an unplanned public outreach.

“Before elections begin, they have started creating hurdles. But it didn’t help them. I met so many people on the way — it became a great public outreach,” she said.

Launching a sharp attack, the Trinamool Congress chief warned the BJP, saying, “Don’t try to play with me. You won’t be able to fight and defeat me politically. I am not dependent on helicopters.”

Her comments came amid rising concern over the SIR verification exercise in Bengal’s refugee-dominated belts, where 35 deaths — some reportedly suicides — have been linked to fear and anxiety among residents.

Vowing to “fight till the end,” Banerjee accused the BJP and the Election Commission of creating an atmosphere of fear and warned that Bengal would resist any attempt to “snatch away” the rights of its citizens.