Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi alleged that due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state, he was forced to miss Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s rally.

“Charanjit Channi is a Chief Minister, he is not a terrorist that you are stopping him from flying to Hoshiarupur? This is not the way”, furious Channi remarked.

It was alleged that the Chief Minister reportedly waited for more than an hour for his helicopter to be cleared for flight as a ‘no-fly zone’ was enforced because of the PM’s visit to Jalandhar.

The Chief Minister was to take helicopter from Chandigarh to Hoshiarupur for Rahul Gandhi’s rally, but he was denied to fly because of Prime Minister’s visit to the state, without attending the rally he returned home.

“I was in Una at 11 am but suddenly permission to fly (to Hoshiarpur) was denied due to PM Modi's movement, it was declared a no-fly zone. I was not able to attend Rahul Gandhi's rally in Hoshiarpur. I had permission to land," Mr Channi alleged.

Though Chief Minister Channi was unable to fly to Hoshiarpur, Rahul Gandhi's chopper was allowed to land in the town.

"The Chief Minister was scheduled to come here but it's shameful that this government cancelled permission for Charanjit Singh Channi to come to Hoshiarpur. If Election Commission doesn't take cognisance of this, I'll understand that these polls are a farce, a sham," said Congress leader Sunil Jakhar.

PM Modi, who addressed a rally in Jalandhar in his first visit to Punjab since a security breach last month, referred to a similar hold-up in the past to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that, in 2014, when he was named as party Prime Ministerial candidate, his helicopter was held up in Punjab because "Yuvraj (prince)" was flying to Amritsar.

"My name was announced for PM candidate. I had to visit Pathankot and Himachal to campaign. But my chopper was not allowed to fly because their yuvraj (prince) was also in Amritsar. So the Congress has a habit of not allowing the opposition to work," PM Modi said in election rally.