Modi arrives in Mehsana via seaplane from Sabarmati river

NEW DELHI: After being refused permission for a road show in Ahmedabad city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived for campaigning in Mehsana district via seaplane from the Sabarmati river in the city.
BJP leaders said this was the first time a seaplane operated on the Sabarmati.
Carrying Modi and other party functionaries, the seaplane landed on a pond of the Dharoi dam in Mehsana.He's expected to visit the Ambaji temple there, and after, his return journey is also expected to be via seaplane.
"Our party had planned my road show tomorrow. However, the administration has not given permission and I had time so I decided to go to Ambaji in the sea-plane," said Modi yesterday.
"We cannot have airports everywhere, so our government has planned to have these sea-planes," he added.
The Ahmedabad Police yesterday denied permission for today's roadshows by both Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the BJP's Modi. They cited potential traffic snarls an also wanted to avoid the possibility of disturbances in some communally sensitive areas.
The BJP had sought permission for a roadshow from Dharnidhar Derasar to Bapu Nagar in Ahmedabad, while the Congress wanted the nod for its roadshow from the Jagannath temple to the Menco area, with corner meetings on the route, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) H R Muliyana said to PTI news agency.