says not responsible (Eds: Updates with details)Imphal/New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) Union minister K J Alphonswas confronted by an enraged woman passenger at the Imphalairport over the delay in her Kolkata-bound flight she wastaking to rush to Patna to attend a funeral of her relative.
Alphons today said he was not responsible for the delayof the flight due to VVIP security protocol after a videofootage of the passenger identified as a lady doctor arguingand directing her ire at him on seeing the minister at theImphal airport went viral.
The video of the incident that happened yesterday showedthe woman complaining to Alphons about the flight beingdelayed due to VIP movement.
Alphons, who is Minister of State (Independent Charge)for Tourism, had come to Imphal to attend the NortheastDevelopment summit which was inaugurated by President Ram NathKovind yesterday. President Kovind's aircraft was due to landin Imphal around the time of departure of the Kolkata-boundaircraft.
"I have to reach Patna. The body is waiting, otherwisethe body will decay. I am a doctor, I know that. The body isstill at home," the woman can be heard pleading with Alphons,who tries to soothe her anger. She was also heard askingAlphons to give in writing what time her flight would takeoff.
The woman was booked on an IndiGo flight from Imphal toKolkata from where she had to take a connecting flight toPatna.
On her repeated insistence to give her in writing as towhat time the flight would depart, the minister is heardsaying he does not have the authority to do so.
When contacted, Imphal Airport Director S K Panigrahitold PTI over phone at Kolkata that three flights were delayeddue to the visit of President Kovind to the state yesterday.
"The commercial flights were delayed since thePresident's flight was scheduled to arrive," he said, addingnone of the flights were cancelled.
The airport director said the three commercial flightswere delayed between 90 minutes and two hours.
According to Alphons, he approached a woman crying at theairport and who could be seen in the video losing her cool.
"She was crying and I wanted to know what happened. Shestarted saying that she had to go to Patna to attend arelative's funeral which was scheduled in the afternoon. Shewas distraught because her flight was delayed and she fearedthe body will decay.
"As a representative of the government of India, shewanted me to intervene," Alphons told PTI, amid allegationsthat he was the cause for the delay of the flight.
He was accompanied by some of his ministerial colleagues.
"I can understand her anguish but as I told her, thePresident's flight was landing and as per protocol no otherflight can land or take off at that time.
"This protocol is in place for the past 70 years and notmade by this government. I tried to tell her that her flightwill leave as soon as the President's flight lands, but shewas really in distress," Alphons said.
The minister also said that he "was not in favour" ofprotocols that encourage VIP culture and that he has alsoinformed officials that a pilot jeep should not be assignedfor him. PTI JC SC SBN ASG SNS GSNGSN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.