Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday alleged that she was harassed by a group of men onboard an IndiGo flight to Delhi, after they chanted slogans such as “chor chor, TMC chor” and “Jai Shri Ram”, while filming her inside the plane.
In a post on X, Moitra said she was travelling to Delhi from Kolkata on official work to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence when she alleged that four to six men leered at her onboard IndiGo flight 6E 719.
“I was on seat 1F on 6E 719. 4-6 men boarded in a group, leered at me and went to the back of the plane. When the flight landed and before the doors opened, this is what they did and filmed it,” she said.
“Chor chor, TMC chor, pishi chor, bhaipo chor (thieves, thieves, TMC is a thief, aunt is a thief, nephew is a thief)” the men were heard shouting while Moitra was inside the aircraft. The chants were aimed at TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
The Krishnanagar MP described the episode as “harassment” and said it compromised her safety inside the aircraft. “This is no ‘citizen anger’. This is harassment and violates my safety in an aircraft. No way that these louts can get away with this harassment inside an airplane,” she said.
She urged IndiGo to examine the crew report, identify those involved and place them on a no-fly list. She also tagged Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, seeking action over the incident.
INDIGO TO PROBE MATTER IF MOITRA FILES COMPLAINT
According to sources, IndiGo will be able to investigate the matter once Moitra files a formal complaint.
Contrary to the reports, the airline staff had intervened when the sloganeering happened. Upon action by the IndiGo crew, the group of men complied and stopped raising slogans, sources said.
If Moitra chooses to file a formal complaint, IndiGo will launch an investigation per the laid down guidelines and protocols.
The incident came days after the BJP ended the TMC’s 15-year rule and won 207 of 294 seats in the Assembly polls, and is set to form the government for the first time. The TMC finished a distant second with just 80 seats.
Even though the West Bengal Assembly has been officially dissolved, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has refused to resign as Chief Minister and may approach the Supreme Court, challenging the election results.
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