Chennai: Last month, a passenger accidentally opened the emergency exit of an IndiGo plane at the Chennai airport, but the airline allegedly took no action after the passenger apologized. The flight was delayed as the aircraft took off for its destination, Tiruchirapalli, only after rigorous engineering checks. Reports have surfaced that the passenger in question was BJP leader Tejasvi Surya, which has led to criticism from the opposition, with various leaders questioning why such a serious incident was covered up with just an apology.
NDTV has attempted to contact Tejasvi Surya regarding the reports, which have not yet been confirmed by the BJP MP or his office. IndiGo, in a statement yesterday, said a passenger traveling on flight 6E 7339 from Chennai to Tiruchirapalli on December 10 accidentally opened the emergency exit door during the boarding process, when the plane was on the tarmac. Reports suggest the passenger “rested his hand on the door” and unknowingly unlocked the exit.
BJP leader Tejasvi Surya has faced criticism from the opposition over reports that he accidentally opened the emergency exit of an IndiGo plane at the Chennai airport last month, with the airline allegedly taking no action after he apologized. The flight was delayed as the aircraft took off for its destination, Tiruchirapalli, only after stringent engineering checks.
Opposition leaders have questioned why such a serious incident was covered up with just an apology. NDTV has attempted to contact Tejasvi Surya regarding the reports, which have not yet been confirmed by the BJP MP or his office.
IndiGo, in a statement, said a passenger traveling on flight 6E 7339 from Chennai to Tiruchirapalli on December 10 accidentally opened the emergency exit during the boarding process, when the plane was on the tarmac. Reports suggest the passenger “rested his hand on the door” and unknowingly unlocked the exit. The airline said the passenger immediately apologized and the incident was logged as per the standard operating procedure. The aircraft then underwent mandatory engineering checks, which led to a delay in the flight’s departure. The flight was reportedly delayed by more than two hours. A senior official of the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the event was reported and safety was not compromised.
The appropriate airworthiness action, such as reinstalling the door and performing a pressurization check, was carried out before the aircraft was cleared for departure, according to an official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The official emphasized that safety was not compromised.
As per sources at the Chennai airport, Tejasvi Surya was on the flight with Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai. Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji brought attention to the incident last month, but Annamalai has not commented on the matter.
Opposition parties have heavily criticized the Bengaluru South MP and questioned why IndiGo is not revealing the name of the passenger involved in the incident.
The Karnataka Congress party has criticized Tejasvi Surya and questioned his actions, saying “Tejasvi Surya is an example of what will happen if children playing games are given the proprietorship. An act of children’s mischief by trying to open the emergency exit door of the plane has come to light. Why prank the lives of passengers?”
They also questioned his intention and plans, asking “What was the MP’s intention? What plans were there to create a disaster? Why was he transferred to the back seat after apologizing,” and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on who he would hold responsible for a disaster if the “prank” had been carried out after take-off. The Congress party also questioned why this incident is not being investigated.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi took to social media to express her concerns, stating “Shouldn’t one take suo moto cognizance of this incident? What if this happened once the aircraft had taken off rather than when it was taxiing on the runway, should an apology suffice?”
Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar also weighed in on the incident, linking it to the upcoming elections in the state. He wrote on Twitter “For a safe take-off and landing, always fly with Congress.”
