Tharoor Criticizes Scindia's Alleged Shift in Approach: Embracing the Government's 'Indifferent Stance' towards the Public

In a scathing critique of the chaos at Delhi airport attributed to fog-related flight delays, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took a dig at Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, accusing him of adopting the Modi government's "uncaring attitude" since switching sides. Tharoor engaged in a war of words on X, issuing a point-by-point rebuttal to Scindia's arguments and urging the minister to shift focus from "arm-chair discussions" to address the agony of passengers.

Tharoor highlighted the plight of 80,000 passengers facing flight cancellations on January 14th and 15th, emphasizing the Ministry of Civil Aviation's alleged neglect and incompetence in providing modern facilities at par with international airports. Responding to Scindia's dismissive remarks about his use of language, Tharoor urged the minister to apologize to the affected passengers instead of engaging in name-calling.

Addressing runway maintenance concerns, Tharoor questioned the delayed initiation of maintenance for the CAT-III B runway at Delhi Airport, pointing out that planning for annual events like winter fog and pollution incidents should have been prioritized. He criticized the government's handling of a crane obstructing the runway, questioning the delayed decision-making process despite SOP violations being flagged earlier.

Tharoor further highlighted the acute shortage of CAT-III trained pilots, causing frequent flight diversions, and criticized the ineffective implementation of the UDAN scheme under the BJP government. He contested Scindia's claims of doubling the number of airports, citing data that showed a slower pace of airport additions compared to the UPA era.

Concluding his criticism, Tharoor accused Scindia of adopting the Modi government's indifferent approach to public suffering and called for a focus on addressing incompetencies and loopholes in the Ministry's functioning. Tharoor emphasized the economic losses and disruptions faced by the public, urging the minister to prioritize passenger concerns over engaging in verbal sparring.

(With Agency Inputs)