The Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Seaplane Trip

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, travelled on a seaplane from Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad to Dharoi Dam. Modi described the experience as unique. He also highlighted the seaplane’s potential in harnessing India’s waterways towards effective medical and tourist services.

A day before the flight, Modi tweeted, “Tomorrow at 9:30 A.M., I will travel from Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad to Dharoi Dam via seaplane. After that will offer prayers to Maa Amba at Ambaji. With air, roads & rail connectivity, our Government is making efforts for harnessing waterways. All this is for 125 crore Indians!”

The BJP and the Congress planned a roadshow on the 12th of December. However, the Ahmedabad Police denied the request for hosting a roadshow. The Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad Anup Kumar said, “The request by BJP and Congress for conducting PM Modi’s and Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow has been turned down by the police due to security, law and order reasons and to avoid public inconvenience.”

On being asked about how he felt on the roadshow being cancelled, he said, “However, the administration did not give permission for the same and since I had time, I decided to go to Ambaji in the seaplane… We cannot have airports everywhere, so our government has planned to have these seaplanes.”

On Monday this week, the Chief Minister of Gujarat in a statement said, for the first time in India’s history a seaplane landed on a water body. This is not the first time the BJP went overboard in highlighting Modi’s actions. The first ever commercial seaplane service in India was launched in 2010. The Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said, “India’s first seaplane named ‘Jal Hans’ was first launched in 2010 during my tenure as Civil Aviation Minister which greatly facilitated connectivity and tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.”

On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said the seaplane is a mere distraction from the real issues faced by Gujarat. He said,“There is nothing wrong with his riding a seaplane if that’s what he wants, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s nice for him. But it’s a distraction. The real issue is that what have they done for the people of Gujarat in 22 years.”

The seaplane named Kodiak 100, belongs to Quest Aircraft Company, a Utah based company. The seaplane ride from Ahmedabad to Dharoi and back cost the BJP an approximate of 42 lakh.

The Congress Chief of Goa Shantaram Naik stated Modi’s seaplane ride can result in the disqualification of the BJP. He said, “Modi’s seaplane ride to the Dharoi dam in Mehsana district may lead to disqualification of BJP candidates since the expenditure borne on such rides is not exempted under the Representation of the People Act and has to be included as travel expense of a ‘star campaigner’.”

The expenditure limit for each constituency is Rs. 70 lakh.The seaplane ride will lead to many BJP candidates crossing their expense limits resulting in disqualification.