Lucknow, Dec 8 - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi took a risky decision and forced his helicopter's pilot to land in zero visibility on an airstrip in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district, said state party president Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

"The pilot was just not ready to land the helicopter, but Rahulji forced him to do so and the chopper landed in zero visibility," Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Congress party president in Uttar Pradesh, told reporters.

Even though Rahul ignored the pilot's warning, party officials defended his decision Monday evening.

"It displays Rahulji's commitment... Actually he had promised to meet backward class people in Sitapur. So, even after the delay, while he was going to Hardoi, he insisted that the pilot land the chopper at night in Sitapur," said Joshi.

Gandhi is on a two-day visit to the state to boost the membership drive undertaken to reactivate the Youth Congress. (IANS)