VIJAYAWADA: In an alleged sting operation by a television channel, Anantapur MP J C Diwakar Reddy alleged that it was at the insistence of Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju that he could travel by the same flight for which he was not issued a boarding pass for arriving late recently at Visakhapatnam.
In the video clip telecast on the channel, Diwakar was seen saying that the Union Minister had asked officials to look into his request but did not say that the minister asked the airlines staff to issue a boarding pass.
The MP said that he became emotional when he was denied the boarding pass. He wanted to remove the printer and throw it down, but could not do so since it was plugged to a socket which compelled him to put it back where it was.
TDP circles say that the Chief Minister will take stern action if the allegations against Diwakar Reddy are proved. “Sting operation itself is trap which cannot be treated as an attempt to uncover truth,” said TDP MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao.