Varanasi airport has also denied the accusation.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi himself cancelled his trip to Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi; his chartered airline had written to Varanasi airport last night intimating them about their cancellation, top government sources said today. The Congress has claimed that Mr Gandhi's plane was denied permission to land at Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport late Monday night. Varanasi airport has also denied the accusation.
"The flight was cancelled by M/s AR Airways by sending email to AAI Varanasi Airport at 2116 hrs on 13 th Feb 2013.Please correct your statement as the flight was cancelled by operator," the official account of the airport tweeted in response to an article alleging the same.
Senior Congress leader Ajay Rai on Tuesday alleged that Mr Gandhi's plane was scheduled to land at the airport on his return from Wayanad in Kerala. He claimed authorities did not grant permission as they were under pressure, and that they used President Droupadi Murmu's visit as an 'excuse'.
Mr Rai said he and other party leaders were at the airport to receive their leader, but his plane was not allowed to land "at the last minute."
The Congress leader also said that the BJP government is 'scared' of Rahul Gandhi and hence they did not allow the plane to land at the airport in Varanasi.
"Prime minister of the country has been anxious since Rahul Gandhi led the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Now, they are troubling Rahul," he added.
The former Congress chief was scheduled to visit Prayagraj for a function at the Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, Mr Rai said.
Notably, President Murmu visited Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Monday evening after offering prayers at the Kotwal Baba Kaal Bhairav temple in Varanasi.