Dhenkanal BJD MP Tathagata Satpathy late on Friday night sat on a dharna in front of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport gate in New Delhi protesting against the alleged preferential treatment to VVIPs. Satpathy reportedly blocked the entry of passengers alleging that airport officials extended extra privilege to a BJP Minister from Bhopal and two judges, causing problems for others.
Senior television journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, who was on his way to Bhubaneswar to attend some events here scheduled for Saturday, was to board the Air India flight on Friday evening along with Tathagata Satpathy and others.
The journo tweeted the sequence of events that unfolded till late in the night and even posted the byte of Satpathy on the micro blogging site.
According to sources, the Air India flight to Bhubaneswar had to fly ahead of Bhopal flight. However, the flight crew were reportedly recalled and asked to fly on the Bhopal flight creating resentment among the Bhubaneswar passengers.
The VVIPs on-board the Bhopal flight allegedly rang up the Managing Director of the national carrier to do them a favour. In protest against this, the Dhenkanal MP sat on a dharna. “One BJP Minister of State from Madhya Pradesh and two judges were on Bhopal flight. Is that reason enough for AI MD to ask pilots to move from one Flt to otherIJ” Rajdeep tweeted post midnight.
The chaos at the airport continued till 2.30 am and, finally, the Bhubaneswar flight took off for its destination. The flight landed here at 4.30 am.
“This is a very sad state of affairs with the way Air India is behaving. They first announced that they have cancelled the Bhopal flight. Just because there were some VIPs there, one BJP Minister of State and two judges… Now they are saying that Bhopal will go and Bhubaneswar will not go. It is very sad indeed,” Satapathy told Rajdeep who shared it on twitter.
The MP and other co-passengers were hell-bent and sought the AI to reverse its decision. Finally, the AI management gave in to the protest and the flight to Bhubaneswar scheduled to depart at 6.30 pm left at 2.30 am. “Proud of fellow Indians who are asking for judges and Minister to leave the flight for misusing VIP privilege! Desh badlega!” Rajdeep’s another post read.