The Congress has used the IndiGo flight ban on Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener E. P. Jayarajan to underscore its case that the CPI(M) veteran had wilfully assaulted two Youth Congress workers demonstrating “peacefully” inside an aircraft that landed in Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on board on June 13.
CPI(M) State secretariat has strongly criticised the airline. It called the airline's action ill-thought and arbitrary.
Mr. Jayarajan had pre-empted a bid on the Chief Minister’s life. It asked IndiGo to reexamine the facts and revoke the three-week travel embargo.
Boycott threat
Mr. Jayarajan said he and his wife were frequent IndiGo travellers. Henceforth, they would shun the airline and opt for other carriers. “I will walk to Kannur and back if need be. But I won’t board an IndiGo flight again,” he said.
The CPI(M) had maintained that Congress leadership had orchestrated the “attempt on Mr. Vijayan’s life.”
The Youth Congress protesters wearing black shirts as a symbol of protest against the Chief Minister had boarded the flight from Kannur.
The CPI(M) had alleged the Congress had paid for their air tickets. Moreover, the activists foxed airport security by selling the officers a sob story that they were visiting a terminally ill patient at the RCC.
Summons issued
Seemingly consistent with the ruling party's position, the police notified Youth Congress leader K.S. Sabarinadhan to report in front of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Shanghumughom, on Tuesday.
The summons comes on the heels of a WhatsApp chat message purportedly showing Mr. Sabarinadhan’s “involvement in the plot” to “imperil the Chief Minister on board the flight.
Congress leadership did not authorise the inflight protest. It was of their own volition. Mr. Sabarinadhan was a victim of a political witch-hunt, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan alleged.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Vijayan had prejudiced the police investigation by defending Mr. Jayarajan. However, an internal inquiry by IndiGo had called Mr. Vijayan’s bluff. It had indicted Mr. Jayarajan of wilfully assaulting Youth Congress workers. He said that the police had no recourse but to book Mr. Jayaran on an assault charge.
