New Delhi:
Did the pilot of Rahul Gandhi's helicopter violate basic safety rules by landing after sunset, in poor visibility, in Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh?
Gandhi categorically denies that he forced the pilot to land in poor visibility; the pilot has been derostered and will now explain what happened to the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA).
This does not mean that the pilot has been found guilty.
On Tuesday, Gandhi blamed the media for blowing the event out of proportion; he said the pilot was worried the controversy would cost him his job. "I am a pilot ... I understand the dangers of flying in bad weather, bad visibility. The pilot has taken a decision and he has not broken any rule. You (reporters) are making a story out of it and destroying their career," he said.
Accusations that Gandhi forced the pilot to land came first from Rita Bahuguna, the Uttar Pradesh state president of the Congress. Gandhi's biting response: that Bahuguna is neither a weather nor an aviation expert.
A few hours later, the Mayawati government accused Gandhi and his Special Protection Guard (SPG) of violating safety rules. Upon landing, Gandhi refused a bulletproof car, they said, opting to travel in a private SUV.