Omar Abdullah lambasts Delhi airport for flight diversion, DIAL says incorrect to blame airport
New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI): After Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday lambasted Delhi airport after his flight was delayed and diverted to Jaipur, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said it was incorrect to blame it for the current situation.
In an X post at 1.08 am on Sunday, Abdullah said, "Delhi airport is a bloody shit show (excuse my French but I'm in no mood to be polite). 3 hours in the air after we left Jammu we get diverted to Jaipur and so here I am at 1 in the morning on the steps of the plane getting some fresh air. I've no idea what time we will leave from here."
He also shared a selfie from Jaipur airport, standing on the steps of an IndiGo aircraft.
In another post at 3.40 am, Abdullah said in case anyone was wondering, he got to Delhi just after 3 am.
DIAL too took to X to respond. In a post at 8.09 pm, it said, "It is incorrect to blame Delhi airport for the current delays/diversions" and that airlines did minimal to no changes in their flight schedules despite capacity constraints due to runway upgradation works.
DIAL operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport, also the country's busiest airport.
Earlier in the day, DIAL regretted the inconvenience caused to Abdullah and said there are temporary capacity constraints due to runway upgradation and easterly winds.
It said the closure of runway 10/28 since April 8 for essential Instrument Landing System upgradation was planned well in advance four months ago, in consultation with all stakeholders and based on historical wind patterns.
It was agreed among all stakeholders including airlines and Air Traffic Control that whenever the easterly winds shift and the operational use of converging runways are limited, there will be temporary capacity constraints for arrivals, DIAL said.
"When these easterly wind situations have been arising in the past few days, airlines were advised, in accordance with pre-agreed plans, to adjust flight schedules. However, there was minimal to no changes made...
"Unfortunately this limited action or non-action has led to significant operational challenges for all stakeholders including Delhi airport and Air Traffic Control, and in the end impacted passengers significantly," it said in a series of posts on X.
A source at IndiGo said the flight was diverted to Jaipur due to congestion at the Delhi airport.
In the recent days, there have been flight delays at the Delhi airport due to closure of one runway for maintenance work and easterly winds.
In case anyone is wondering, I got to Delhi just after 3:00 AM. 🤬🥱🥱
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 19, 2025
May, with the remaining upgrade activities deferred for a month or so. Please be assured we have been working together with the stakeholders to minimize passenger inconvenience and have planned this well in advance.
— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) April 20, 2025
Dear Mr. Abdullah, Further to our exchange of morning, would highlight that it is incorrect to blame Delhi airport for the current delays/ diversions. The fact is-
— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) April 20, 2025
The closure of Runway 10/28 since 8th April for essential Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgradation, was (1/5)
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Over 350 illegal religious structures removed along Nepal border
Lucknow, May 11 (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday said that more than 350 unauthorised religious sites, including madrasas, mosques, mazars and Eidgahs, have been identified and subjected to sealing or demolition in recent days, an official statement issued here said.
Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's clear directive that no religious encroachment will be tolerated, the administration in districts such as Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj has launched a sweeping campaign, it said.
The authorities have systematically identified illegal structures and taken strict action, continuing operations even on Sunday.
The chief minister has made it clear that encroachment in the name of any religion will not be allowed and all violators, especially those running unrecognised religious institutions, will face legal consequences, the statement said.
On May 10 and 11, 104 madrasas, one mosque, five mazars and two Eidgahs built illegally on public and private land were identified in Shravasti. All were issued notices and sealed, it said.
One illegal madrasa on public land was demolished and two unrecognized madrasas on private land were sealed, the statement added.
In Bahraich, officials identified 13 madrasas, eight mosques, two mazars and one Eidgah illegally constructed on government land.
After issuing notices, five were sealed and 11 were demolished, including eight madrasas, two mosques and one mazar, the statement said.
In Siddharthnagar, the authorities identified four mosques and 18 madrasas and one more madrasa for illegal construction. Notices were issued to these structures. Five madrasas were sealed and nine were demolished. In total, action was taken against 23 illegal structures in the district, it said.
In Maharajganj’s Nautanwa tehsil, Parsamalik village, an unrecognized madrasa operating on Maktab land was shut down based on a report submitted by the District Minority Welfare Officer.
The building’s keys were handed over to the local police station in-charge. So far, 29 madrasas and five mazars constructed through encroachment on public and private land have been demolished in the district.
In past two days in Lakhimpur Kheri, two mosques, one Eidgah on public land along with eight madrasas on private land were found to be illegally constructed.
Of the 13 structures identified, one was served a notice, nine were sealed and three have been demolished so far, the statement said.
The district authorities in Pilibhit have identified an illegal mosque built on public land in Bharatpur village, covering an area of 0.0310 hectares.
According to the district magistrate, a notice has been issued to the parties involved, seeking a response within 15 days. Action against the illegal construction will be taken after the notice period ends, it said.
On Sunday, an under-construction madrasa on public land in Virpur Semra village, Tulsipur tehsil, was demolished in Balrampur. So far, 30 madrasas, 10 mazars and one Eidgah have been demolished in the district.
Ten of them were built illegally on public land, while 20 were constructed without authorization on private land, the statement said.
