Field day for netizens as CPI-M leader bans IndiGo from travel plans

Social media was abuzz with memes and comments as CPI-M leader E.P.Jayarajan annouced to 'drop' IndiGo from his travel plans after the airlines banned him for three weeks.

The airlines imposed a ban on Jayarajan, convenor of the ruling Left Democratic Front, after he allegedly manhandled two Congress youths who were protesting against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inside an aircraft on June 13.

Interestingly, several angry supporters of Jayarajan inadvertently tagged Indigo Paints intead of IndiGo airlines to vent out ire. Many of them went to the extent of saying that going forward, the airlines will have a tough time.

Reacting to the leader's ban, a former State Minister and a central committee member of the CPI-M issued a statement expressing displeasure against the airlines wanting it to reconsider the decision.

On Monday late evening, media posts showed Jayarajan and his wife seated on an overnight train from here to his home town- Kannur.

"You just wait, let the K-Rail project become a reality, then IndiGo Airline will have to close down their business," said an angry Jayarajan.

On Monday morning, Jayarajan first said he had no knowledge about the ban. Then one of the youth protesters told the media that he got a mail from the airlines on Saturday banning him for two weeks.

"I am yet to get any information from the airlines," said Jayarajan to the media and later asserted that he will never again travel by it.

When pointed out that no other airlines from the state capital flies to Kannur, Jayarajan hit back by stating, "Even if I walk from here to Kannur, I will not travel again in IndiGo."

The airline's action based on its own internal probe by a retired Judge and two other people, CPI-M's claim the Youth Congress workers were attempting to attack Vijayan is being seen as a political allegation.

Taking a dig at the Left leader, state Congress president K.Sudhakaran, who also hails from Kannur, said: It's now best that Jayarajan travels on a chartered flight to avoid all such issues.

As for Jayarajan, there is no airline which flies from the state capital city to Kannur, other than IndiGo.

Now all eyes are on other top leaders in Jayarajan's party, if they too will follow suit, to put pressure on IndiGo.

--IANS

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