Union Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday that the Prime Minister was deeply concerned about the disruption caused by the IndiGo flight cancellations and delays. According to him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strssed on the fact that passengers should not suffer because of such issues. He noted that while rules and regulations are important, fixing problems should not come at the cost of causing unnecessary trouble to the public.
What did PM Modi say?
“Ensure that people do not face any trouble on account of the government. Rules and regulations are well and good, but they should be made to improve the system and not to harass the public,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, recounting the PM’s words at the NDA meeting.
Rijiju said that the PM was very clear with his words that any laws should not lead to burden on people, but in fact they are there for their conveinience and that this should not happen.
Speaking ahead of the discussion on election reforms, Rijiju said the government would use the debate to counter what he described as misleading claims made by the opposition. He added that the Lok Sabha discussion would give the government an opportunity to clear up confusion and address doubts being raised about public trust and participation in the electoral process.
PM’s comments come at a signficant time
The Prime Minister’s comments are significant because IndiGo has been facing a full week of major operational problems. Since last Tuesday, the airline has cancelled or delayed hundreds of flights, leaving thousands of passengers stuck and drawing strong criticism over how the airline and regulators have handled the situation.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sent show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras, asking them to explain the widespread disruptions.
On Monday, the airline sent a response to the Centre in what sources told India Today was a “highly-guarded” letter.
As pressure increases, the government has called a high-level meeting today with the civil aviation ministry and senior officials from different airlines to discuss the crisis.