VIJAYAWADA/VISAKHAPATNAM: Hours after tweeting that he would get the entire incident at the Vizag airport enquired into, Civil Aviation minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Friday clarified that there was no need for any probe as such since the unruly behaviour of his party colleague and MP from Anantapur J C Diwakar Reddy was captured by CCTV cameras. The Minister said, “We have third umpire, the CCTV. All details are there.”
However, he did not give a clean chit to Diwakar Reddy, who created a ruckus at Vizag airport on Thursday morning after IndiGo staff denied him a boarding pass for arriving late. “The law will take its course,” Ashok said. He recalled that Diwakar had told him that he arrived at the airport an hour ahead of the scheduled departure of the Hyderabad-bound flight but hastened to add that CCTV footage had all the details.
Elaborating further, the minister said certain facts had already been established. “He (Diwakar) arrived after the boarding gates had been closed. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Government of India, norms are clear: The counter where the boarding passes are issued should close 45 minutes before the actual departure of a flight. This is a safety regulation. Diwakar arrived late,” he said.
Asked if it was proper for an MP to manhandle the staff and try to throw the boarding pass issuing machine, Ashok shot back: “Such kind of behaviour is very unbecoming of anyone and not just a parliamentarian. No citizen or a legislator should resort to pushing staff or hammering on a machine. That includes me.” Earlier in the day, Ashok tweeted, “I will get the entire incident at Vizag Airport enquired into to find out the exact details and ensure that lawful outcomes follow.” He also rubbished reports in a section of the media that he had intervened to get a boarding pass for Diwakar.
Diwakar Reddy banned by all domestic flights
Diwakar Reddy maintained a low profile through out Friday. When contacted by Express, he refused to speak. Asked about the flying ban imposed on him by all domestic airlines, he replied: “No comment.” He has been banned by all the domestic airlines.
Air India, JetAirways, SpiceJet and IndiGo had banned him from their flights Thursday night itself and on Friday, full-service carrier Vistara and budget airlines — GoAir and AirAsia India — too barred him from their flights. The action was similar to the one taken by them after Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad slapped an Air India official earlier this year. “In support of the fellow carriers, Vistara has also taken a decision to impose flying ban on J C Diwakar Reddy,” a Vistara spokesperson said.