THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what could tighten the noose around two Youth Congress workers who protested against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on board an aircraft, the preliminary report by Indigo Airlines clearly states that it was the duo who had charged towards the CM. The report, however, does not name LDF convener E P Jayarajan, who allegedly pushed them to the floor.
Terming the omission a deliberate move, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has approached Indigo Airlines South India Chief complaining about the factual inaccuracy in the report. Indigo’s Thiruvananthapuram Airport Manager Vijith T V filed a report before the Valiyathura Police on June 14, stating an altercation took place inside the Indigo flight, 6E -7407 after it landed at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. It says the CM along with two others were seated on 20A, 20B and 20C. The three passengers (Youth Congress workers) were seated on Seat number 8A, 8C and 7D.
“After landing, as soon as the seat belt sign went off, the said passengers immediately stood up from their respective seats and rushed towards the chief minister shouting slogans in their vernacular language. Upon seeing this, one of the passengers travelling with the CM intervened,” said the report. The CM later deboarded the flight, it added.
The report drew flak from Congress leaders as it didn’t mention Jayarajan’s role in the incident, but stated that theYC members had charged at the CM. Satheesan on Thursday approached Varun Dwivedi, associate vice-president, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd (Indigo Airlines) with a complaint.
‘Indigo manager gave fake and frivolous report’
Satheesan complained that the Indigo manager had submitted a ‘fake and conspicuously frivolous’ report at the Valiyathura Police Station. In his letter, Satheesan said details of the report were in stark contrast with the statements given by other passengers in the aircraft including Jayarajan. “It should be recalled that Jayarajan had given an interview to a leading news channel that the Youth Congress workers had raised slogans against the Chief Minister, seeking his resignation, after he had alighted from the aircraft. This has been endorsed by CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan as well. But when the Indigo Airport manager gave the report, Jayarajan who brutally manhandled the protestors fails to find a mention in the report”, said Satheesan in his letter.
He also alleged that the Indigo Airport manager is learned to hail from Kannur and hence avoided Jayarajan’s name from the report due to political pressure by higher officials, police, CPM leaders and CMO. Satheesan urged Varun Dwivedi to conduct a fair enquiry and submit a truthful report to the investigating agencies and GDCA.
Meanwhile, Jayarajan took a jibe at Satheesan saying the latter had approached the Indigo higher-ups as he had no other job to do. “Let jobless people go and file case against me. I don’t have time to run after such people,” he said.
Will take action soon: Scindia
Thiruvananthapuram: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said his ministry would look into the incident on board the flight and would soon take action.
He was replying to Congress MP Hibi Eden’s tweet in which he asked why the Indigo Airlines, DGCA and Jyotiraditya Scindia are not registering an FIR against E P Jayarajan when a video clipping clearly showed LDF convener pushing two passengers to the floor