TDP MP J.C. Diwakar Reddy Barred From Flying By Six Major Airlines:- Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP J.C. Diwakar Reddy has been barred from flying by six major airlines, Indigo Airlines, Spicejet and Air India, GoAir, Jet Airways and Vistara Airlines, after he created a ruckus at the Visakapatnam airport.
With the echoes of the misbehavior of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad with Air India personnel still to fade away, now Mr. Diwakar Reddy threw a temper tantrum at the Visakhapatnam airport yesterday.
While, the incident of unruly behavior of the MP was confirmed by Indigo. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) were approached by Indigo to ban Reddy from flying.
The MP had arrived late to board an IndiGo flight to Hyderabad. After being denied a boarding pass, the MP allegedly damaged the property of the airline and abused the staff. The airline later gave him a boarding pass, following a ruckus.
The MP yesterday reached the airport at 7.42 am, 28 minutes before Indigo 6E-608 was supposed to take off for Hyderabad. Normally when the MPs and MLAs board a flight, their boarding pass is collected much earlier by the personal staff and inform the airlines about the VIP’s scheduled travel.
However, the airline staff did not receive any information about his schedule. Sources say, the airline staffer informed Mr. Reddy that the check-in for the flight had closed, when he arrived at the counter. Following this, Diwakar Reddy got furious and abused the staffer. He then barged into Indigo manager V. Mallik’s room and demanded a boarding pass.
Even as airport and airline staffers tried to get him out of the room, airport director G. Prakash Reddy and chief security officer K. Venugopal rushed to the scene and pacified the MP and had the boarding pass issued.
Other VIP’s who accompanied Mr. Reddy were AP Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao and GMR group chairman G. Mallikarjuna Rao.
Because of the MP, the flight that was supposed to take off at 8:10 a.m. was delayed by a few minutes. Even, the doors that were closed were opened for the MP, a rarity. When the incident occurred, civil aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju was in the VVIP lounge, says sources.
The airlines barring the MP from flying follows the government proposing strict action against misbehaving airline passengers after Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad had slapped an Air India staffer a couple of months ago.
Meanwhile, the MP addressing the media said, “I had just put my hand around the shoulder of the airlines staff in a friendly manner, but the media has shown something wrong and defamed me.” The MP even refused to comment on the CCTV footage that showed him pulling out a printer and abusing the airlines staff.
Airport Director Prakash Reddy said “There was no damage to the airport or airline and nothing has happened. No formal complaint has been received from the airline.
ACP (North) B Bheema Rao said “There was no complaint of any unruly incident at Vizag airport and we have not received any formal and written complaint against anyone.”
Reddy expressed his chafe and soon raged against the staff using aggressive and abusive behavior after he was denied a boarding pass and offered accommodation on another flight, said Indigo airlines.
It can be recalled that last year Reddy had reached the Gannavaram airport of Vijayawada 15 minutes before the flight departure and was denied a boarding pass. In a fit of rage, he allegedly barged into the Air India office and damaged the furniture.
Now, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders are trying to talk to party J.C.Diwakar Reddy, to apologize to the airport staff, for the ruckus he created yesterday.
Another party MP, C.Ramesh and several other party leaders, met J.C. Diwakar Reddy at his house and are trying to make him apologize. This was as a part of the damage control exercise.
SUPRAJA
