Security Tightened In Odisha’s Jharsuguda Airport For PM Modi’s Likely Halt

Jharsuguda: Security was tightened at Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Odisha’s Jharsuguda on Thursday amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have to make a halt here during his scheduled visit to Chhattisgarh due to adverse weather conditions.

Notably, Chhattisgarh is experiencing torrential rain and inclement weather. And this arrangement in Jharsuguda is being seen as a precautionary measure.

According to sources, PM’s security personnel along with police forces have been deployed at the airport. Besides, three choppers of the Indian Army have reached here to further strengthen the security arrangements. Jharsuguda Collector and SP have also reviewed the security arrangements ahead of the PM’s likely halt at the airport, following which, he will fly to Chhattisgarh in a special Army chopper.

The PM is visiting Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to launch multiple projects worth over Rs 50,000 crore in the poll-bound states. He will dedicate rail projects worth around Rs 6,350 crore during his one-day visit to the neighbouring state.

While addressing a gathering in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi called the I.N.D.I.A bloc a ‘Ghamandiya’ (arrogant) alliance and accused it of posing a threat to ‘Sanatana Dharma’. “A few groups are working to divide the country and society… They have come together to form an alliance and want to erase that ‘Sanatana Dharma’ which gave inspiration to Swami Vivekananda and Lokmanya Tilak. This I.N.D.I.A alliance wants to destroy ‘Sanatana Dharma. Today they have openly started targeting Sanatana, tomorrow they will increase the attacks on us. All ‘Sanatanis’ across the country and the people who love our country will have to be alert. We will have to stop such people,” he said.

The prime minister’s remark can be traced to the controversial statement by I.N.D.I.A member DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin on ‘Sanatana Dharma’.

Responding to the PM’s attack, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X: “The PM is back to doing what he does best—insult. He repeated his abuse of INDIA parties as so-called Ghamandia parties. Look, who’s talking! The man who uses the occasion of a govt function to abuse the Opposition. Stooping to his level, one could easily say he heads the GA-NDA coalition—Gautam Adani’s NDA”, he posted.

Assembly polls are due in both states in November-December.