Amit Shah to land in Kannur airport before 'inauguration'

Kannur: In an apparently deliberate political blow to the state government and the ruling party CPM, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to get their national chief Amit Shah make the first landing at the newly built Kannur International Airport.

As per reports, Amit Shah who is scheduled to be in Kannur on Saturday 27th October to inaugurate the district headquarters of the party named Mararji Bhavan, will land in Kannur airport for the trip. In the same aircraft with a capacity of eight, central minister Alphons Kannanthanam will also be there, it is learned.

The district police authorities received on Wednesday directions regarding the security arrangements for Amit Shah from the airport to Kannur and the list of those who will receive Amit Shah at the airport.

KIAL authorities are reported to have been in a fix whether to refuse permission for the private flight before its formal inauguration, but already under pressure from Ministry of Civil Aviation, were dissuaded from such a move which would be read as a confrontational act from the state government, especially when the airport's inauguration is drawing near.

Airport sources feel that since the Directorate General of Civil Avi ation (GDCA) has already issued clearance for the airport, this can also be an opportunity to establish that the airport is ready to start flight services any time.

Originally BJP's central leadership had informed that Amit Shah would land in Kozhikode airport and travel to Kannur by road. However, the local party leaders found this as a suitable time to snub the state CPM's plan to go ahead with the inauguration without waiting for prime minister, and to achieve it they wanted their party chief to be the first passenger to land in Kannur airport. Thus all approval documents were prepared and passed by Ministry of Civil Aviation on war footing, sources said.

The background for this hidden tussle came after the state government gave only a notice of having decided the inauguration to be on December 9, as a department level notification. The grouse of the BJP is that there was no communication to fix the inauguration date with due consideration of the prime minister's convenience. Although the Centre indicated a wish to defer the date of inauguration to suit prime minister attending it, that was not heeded. As things stand now, it will be the chief minister who will make the inauguration.