The Chitradurga district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said the “suspicious box” that was spotted being carried out of Narendra Modi’s helicopter had electronic equipment and party logos to be used on the dais for the prime minister’s speech in Karnataka last week.

The Congress has demanded an investigation by the Election Commission. On April 12, Youth Congress leader Srivatsa tweeted what he claimed was a video of the incident. “What was in the box,” he asked on Twitter. “There seems to be something inexplicable happening which needs answers. Will the Election Commission check the contents of the box?” The video was shared by some Congress members, including Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Advertisement

The video showed a black trunk being loaded on a white vehicle, but did not indicate where it came from. A helicopter’s blades can be seen but it is not clear to whom the chopper belongs.

“Being a president of the state unit of a national party, if he [Dinesh Gundu Rao] does not know what is part of the PM’s convoy, he should immediately resign from his office,” KS Naveen, President of the Chitradurga unit of the BJP, told Deccan Herald. “As they are out of power for five years now, they seem to have forgotten about the security provided for the prime minister.”

Naveen said the black trunk had teleprompter, party logos and other equipment. He said the box was in one of the three helicopters because it had to be carried to the stage in less than 10 minutes. “If the vehicle is part of the 13-vehicle convoy, then it is highly impossible to reach the stage and set it up for the PM’s speech,” said Naveen. “It was entirely handled by the SPG and technical team of PMO and all the vehicles were sanitised by the district police guided by the Central Range IG.”

Naveen criticised the Congress leaders for lacking basic common sense. “Forget probe, their claim does not even warrant a casual look,” he added.