Mid-air wedding in SpiceJet chartered flight violating COVID norms; DGCA off-rosters crew
New Delhi: A mid-air wedding in the presence of guests and relatives took place inside a SpiceJet chartered flight on May 23 morning wherein COVID-19 social distancing norms were violated, sources said on Monday.
The chartered flight left the Madurai airport and remained airborne for approximately two hours on Sunday morning before returning there, they added.
A senior official of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that the flight crew has been off-rostered for not enforcing the social distancing norms onboard.
SpiceJet has been directed to lodge a complaint with relevant authorities against those people who did not follow the COVID-19 norms inside the flight, the official said.
He also said that the DGCA "will take strict action" after it completes its probe into this matter.
Images and videos of the mid-air wedding were circulated on social media on Monday. The images and videos purportedly show people standing extremely close to each other as the couple tied the knot.
When asked on the matter, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, "A SpiceJet Boeing 737 was chartered by a travel agent in Madurai on May 23, 2021 for a group of passengers for a joy ride post their wedding. The client was clearly briefed on Covid guidelines to be followed and denied permission for any activity to be performed on board. The approval for this flight was taken as a joy ride for the wedding group."
He said the agent and the guest passengers were briefed in detail, both in writing as well as verbally, on social distancing and safety norms to be followed according to the Covid guidelines both at the airport and onboard the aircraft throughout the journey.
"The group was repeatedly briefed on the safety norms to be followed by the operating cabin crew and advised to follow the protocols laid down by the DGCA, including restrictions on photography and videography. Despite repeated requests and reminders the passengers did not follow the guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules," the spokesperson said.
India has been badly hit by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic during the last few weeks.
Fresh COVID-19 infections in India dipped to 2,22,315, the lowest in around 38 days, pushing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 2,67,52,447, while the death toll crossed the 3-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The death toll climbed to 3,03,720 with 4,454 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed.
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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.
