Centre probes if Prashant Kishor took a flight during lockdown

New Delhi, Apr 24: The Centre will probe allegations against election strategist, Prashant Kishor for taking a cargo flight from New Delhi to Kolkata.

News reports emerged that Kishor had been summoned by West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee to handle the response of the state government over its tussle with the Centre with regard to the actions taken in handling the coronavirus situation in the state.

A source said that we are inquiring into the matter. We are checking with the airports to see if Kishor had, in fact, defied the lockdown and attempted to take a flight. While Kishor has denied the allegations, it has been reported that he had flown from Kolkata on March 19 after holding meetings with the state government, a few days before the lockdown was announced.

Both international and domestic flights have been suspended since March 22 and 25 respectively. Only cargo flights have been operating during the lockdown. Reports have said that Kishor is in Kolkata.

While the airlines have denied this, the authorities are now seeking CCTV footage from both the Delhi and Kolkata.

There has been escalation of tensions between the Centre and Bengal, after the Ministry of Home Affairs sent a central team to assess the situation in the state. The MHA had said that the situation is serious in Bengal and hence the team would assess the situation.

Mamata Banerjee, however, expressed her strong objections to this move and even wrote a letter to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi calling the development as unilateral.