Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said that his ministry is looking into the incident pertaining to the protest against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on IndiGo’s Kannur-Trivandrum flight. On Monday, two Youth Congress workers had allegedly raised slogans against Vijayan, who was also on the Kannur-Trivandrum flight, after which a senior LDF leader allegedly pushed the duo, sources said.
Vijayan heads the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala.
On Thursday, Congress MP Hibi Eden said on Twitter: “This video clearly shows LDF Convener EP Jayarajan manhandling and pushing two passengers who raised slogans. Why is it that IndiGo, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia are not registering an FIR against him? Is justice selective in the new India?”
Responding to Eden, Scindia tweeted: “We’re looking into this and will take action soon.”
IndiGo on Thursday indicated that the airline is investigating the incident under the aviation regulator DGCA’s “unruly flyer” regulations, which allow the airline concerned to deem a passenger’s behaviour as unruly and ban the individual from flight for a specific period of time.
Responding to Eden’s tweet, the airline said on Twitter: “Sir, on June 16, 2022, IndiGo referred this matter to the Internal Committee (an independent committee comprising of a retired judge, a representative from another airline, and a representative of the passenger/consumer association).”
The matter will be decided by the Internal Committee in accordance with the applicable regulatory guidelines, the airline added.
According to the sources, the two Youth Congress workers allegedly raised slogans against Vijayan who was also on the plane on Monday. The cabin crew members tried to calm the workers down but the situation aggravated.
The senior LDF leader then allegedly pushed the two Youth Congress workers, they said.
The airline – after it completes its investigation into the incident – will inform the DGCA about the action it has taken, the sources said.
