A month after a scuffle broke out between Left Democratic Front (LDF) leader EP Jayarajan and Kerala Youth Congress workers in an IndiGo flight, the commercial carrier has put them on a ‘no-fly list’.
In accordance with the guidelines of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 2 Youth Congress workers and the LDF convener were penalised for unruly behaviour on board a flight.
IndiGo had set up an internal committee to probe the matter as per Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section 3- AIR Transport Series M Part VI Issue II. On Saturday (July 16), the committee passed its final verdict in the case.
Youth Congress members Naveen Kumar RK and Farsin Majeed PP were found guilty of Level I offence and were banned from flying with IndiGo for a period of 2 weeks. Similarly, EP Jayarajan was found guilty of a Level II offence and was banned from flying with the airline for a period of 3 weeks, starting July 16 this year.
LDF leader speaks on the development
While speaking about the matter to The Indian Express, the LDF leader said, “I think, IndiGo does not know who I am. The airline could not prevent the criminals (Youth Congress workers) from travelling when CM Vijayan, who has Z-plus category security, was on board.”
He further added, “The airline should not have issued tickets to these criminals. They could not reach the CM because of me. In fact, the company should have given me an award for preventing the criminals.”
“The ban on me is against civil aviation rules. Hereafter, I would never fly by IndiGo planes. It is a dirty, sub-standard company,” EP Jayarajan concluded.
The Background of the incident
On June 13, 2022, activists of the Kerala Youth Congress boarded a commercial flight flying Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur and waved black flags at him to protest against police harassment.
The chief minister was at Kannur on a three-day official tour. The Youth Congress workers were nabbed by the CM’s security team and LDF leader Jayarajan, and were handed over to the CISF.
Jayarajan described the incident as worse than a “terrorist strike.” The incident was also criticized by CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who claimed that Youth Congress workers were plotting to attack the CM.
First response of E P Jayarajan, passenger at Indigo flight CNN to TRV on 13/06/22
— 𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒊𝒏 𝑰𝑵𝑪 (@Albin_INC) June 14, 2022
confirms that CM Vijayan had already left the flight when the ‘alleged protest’ happened.
And thus the murder attempt case looks prima facie framed.
Need to take action Against EP for manhandling. https://t.co/jI2NQRSiuA pic.twitter.com/6yGGBt6vl9
Meanwhile, Congress leader VD Satheesan described it as a “symbolic protest against police repression.” Farzeen Majid, head of the Youth Congress Mattanur block and one of the protestors, claimed that their objective was just to register a protest.
He alleged that the Youth Congress workers were “brutally beaten” at the airport by the CM’s security team and Jayarajan, thereby inflicting serious injuries on the Youth Congress workers.
They were also charged with a case of an attempt to murder. The Valiyathura police department registered the case under Indian Penal Code Section 307 after receiving a complaint from Chief Minister’s bodyguard Anil Kumar.
According to sources, this incident also prompted attacks on certain Congress offices, including the State Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, purportedly by members of the CPI(M) and its youth wing DYFI.
