THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: LDF convener EP Jayarajan, who was slapped with a three-week travel ban by IndiGo airlines, on Monday said he and his family members would never travel on the company’s flights again even if he had to walk to Kannur.
An enraged Jayarajan, who was found guilty of pushing down two Youth Congress activists who raised protest slogans against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in an aircraft last month, termed it “a dirty and sub-standard airline.” Condemning the airlines’ decision, the CPM said it was taken without checking facts. It urged IndiGo to review the ban. The airlines has also imposed a two-week ban on Youth Congress workers Farzeen Majeed and Naveen Kumar for causing the incident.
Jayarajan said, “I think the airline does not know who I am. There are reports IndiGo is in trouble. I will ensure that not a single rupee goes from my pocket to the accounts of such a corporate firm. I would rather go walking than flying on IndiGo flights,” he said. True to his word, Jayarajan took a train to Kannur along with his family on Monday.
Jayarajan takes train to Kannur with family
He said the airlines could not prevent the criminals (Youth Congress workers) from travelling on the flight. “In fact, they should have given me an award for stopping the criminals. The action against me is against civil aviation rules,” he said. Staying true to his word, Jayarajan took a train to Kannur along with his family on Monday.
The travel ban on Jayarajan and Youth Congress workers was imposed after the airline’s three-member internal inquiry committee led by retired Judge R Baswana reported that the three had violated Level 1 (unruly behaviour) of Civil Aviation Requirements Section (3). They were banned on domestic as well as international flights.
The Youth Congress workers received the ban notice on July 16. As per rules, the final call by the committee needs to be taken in 30 days since the committee was formed.The committee was formed on June 16 under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules on unruly passengers.
‘WILL COOPERATE WITH PROBE’
Former Congress MLA K S Sabarinadhan has been asked to appear before Shankhumukham ACP D K Prithviraj on Tuesday over a complaint lodged against him for allegedly conspiring to stage a protest against the CM inside the aircraft. Sabarinadhan accused the police of bias, saying they had not initiated any action against Jayarajan. “I will cooperate with the probe, but the police still remain silent on the violation by Jayarajan,” he said.