Vistara's London-Delhi flight receives bomb threat; plane lands safely in national capital
New Delhi, Oct 9: A Vistara plane carrying nearly 290 passengers from London to Delhi on Wednesday received a bomb threat, which turned out to be a hoax following a thorough inspection of the aircraft after it landed safely at the airport in the national capital, according to sources.
The sources said that a piece of paper with a message about a bomb onboard the plane was found in one of the lavatories, and the relevant authorities were immediately informed.
Delhi Police said standard security protocols were followed, and a thorough inspection was conducted.
"No suspicious items were found," it said in a statement.
The Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) at Delhi was informed about the bomb threat at 0845 hours and later the aircraft landed safely at the airport at 1145 hours.
"It was informed that a note was discovered in the lavatory of the flight with the message: 'BOMB THIS FLIGHT'," Delhi Police said, adding that all passengers disembarked without incident.
The sources said there were nearly 290 passengers in the Boeing 787 aircraft.
Soon after the paper with the threat message was discovered while the aircraft was in the air, the crew carried out a search but did not find anything suspicious. So, it was decided that there was no need for diversion, and the aircraft continued to fly to Delhi, they added.
An airline spokesperson said a security concern was noted by its staff operating the flight UK 018 while it was coming from London to Delhi.
In line with the protocol, the relevant authorities were immediately informed, and the aircraft was taken to the isolation bay for mandatory checks after landing safely at the Delhi airport.
"We fully cooperated with the relevant authorities in completing the necessary security checks," the spokesperson said in a statement.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
