Aircraft carrying Sonia, Rahul makes emergency landing in Bhopal

Bhopal, July 18:  An aircraft carrying Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi made an emergency landing at the Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal on Tuesday evening.

The aircraft was forced to make the emergency landing due to inclement weather with heavy rains lashing Madhya Pradesh since Tuesday evening. 

The Congress leaders were returning to Delhi from Bengaluru after attending the two-day brainstorming session of the opposition parties.

The chartered plane enroute Delhi had to make a priority landing, officials said.

Confirming the landing, Bhopal airport director Ramji Awasthi told IANS that his office had received a demand for space for 'priority landing', and the same was provided. 

"A priority landing was made at around 7:45 p.m. There was no issue with the aircraft, as no technical support was sought after it landed at the airport," Awasthi told IANS. 

The media in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Congress told IANS that two party MLAs, Arif Masood and P.C. Sharma, have reached the airport to meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who are scheduled to fly to Delhi in an IndiGo flight at around 9.30 p.m.