'Ma, epitome of grace under pressure': Rahul posts Sonia's pic from aircraft

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Pic/PTI

"Ma, the epitome of grace under pressure," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday as he posted a picture on social media of his mother Sonia Gandhi sitting in an aircraft, wearing an oxygen mask.

The picture was of Tuesday when a New Delhi-bound chartered plane carrying former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi made an "emergency" landing at the Bhopal airport, a police official said. However, airport Director Ramji Awasthi said it was a "priority landing" and not an "emergency landing".

Taking to Instagram, Rahul Gandhi posted the picture in which Sonia is seen sitting calmly, wearing an oxygen mask inside the aircraft. "Ma, the epitome of grace under pressure," Rahul Gandhi captioned the picture. The chartered plane was on its way to New Delhi from Bengaluru, where Rahul and Sonia Gandhi attended a mega meeting of opposition parties on Tuesday.

An aircraft with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on board made an emergency landing at Bhopal airport on Tuesday evening, a police officer told PTI.

The plane made an emergency landing at the Bhopal airport, Bhopal police commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra told PTI.

He did not provide further details, but a Congress leader said a technical glitch led to the unscheduled touchdown.

However, airport director Ramji Awasthi told PTI, "It was a priority landing and not an emergency landing."

The details like the reason behind the emergency landing of the aircraft and destination are not available.

Mishra said the aircraft is likely to take off for onward journey at around 9.30 PM.

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul attended the meeting of opposition parties in Bengaluru a few hours back.

Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Women's Commission chairperson Shoba Oza told PTI that the chartered plane "carrying Sonia ji and Rahul ji made an emergency landing because of some technical snag."

On getting information about the development, senior Congress leaders, including Oza, former Union minister Suresh Pachori, MLAs PC Sharma, Arif Masood and Kunal Choudhary rushed to the airport and met the Gandhis in the lounge. They also enquired about their well-being.

The chartered plane was on its way to New Delhi from Bengaluru, where Rahul and Sonia Gandhi attended a mega meeting of opposition parties earlier in the day, Oza said.

"Both of them left for New Delhi by an IndiGo flight at around 9.30 pm," she told PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)