Chhattisgarh CM to be absent from G20 dinner due to air restrictions in Delhi; MHA issues clarification

New Delhi: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday informed that he will be unable to attend the G20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for the current G20 Leaders' Summit this evening due to limitations on air travel in and around Delhi.
Responding to this, the Ministry of Home Affairs posted on 'X', "In a news report, Chief Minister Chhattisgarh has expressed his inability to participate in G20 Dinner at Leaders’ Summit at Delhi on 9 Sept 2023 due to air restrictions in and around Delhi".
"MHA has clarified to the State that while a high tech security air cover has been deployed for G20 Leaders’ Summit at Delhi on 8-11 September 2023, movement of Governors and State Chief Ministers on their State aircrafts are allowed," it said.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also said that he will not attend the G20 special dinner hosted by President Murmu, claiming that approval for his helicopter was denied by the Ministry of Home Affairs, however, MHA denied the allegation also.
"In a news report, the Rajasthan Chief Minister has claimed denial of approval for his helicopter flight by the MHA. Four requests were received from CM Rajasthan for flight permissions, including for Sikar, and all were approved by the MHA”, the MHA posted on X.
Notably, both the Congress chief ministers decided to skip the G20 dinner to be hosted at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday after the party chief and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, was not invited to the banquet.
Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda are among the invitees to the G20 dinner.
However, Deve Gowda informed me that he won't be able to attend the dinner, hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, due to health reasons.
A big-ticket event featuring world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as delegates of leading international organisations, the G20 summit will be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam in Delhi's Pragati Maidan on September 9 and 10.
A total of 170 guests are on the list of special invitees to the G20 dinner hosted by President Draupadi Murmu in the national capital.
Apart from foreign leaders and heads of delegation, Chief ministers of all the states, cabinet and state ministers, secretaries in the Central government, and other distinguished guests have been invited to the gala dinner that will be held at the multi-function hall of the Bharat Mandapam on Saturday.