On scooter, Smriti Irani leads BJP rally for Bengal polls
Sonarpur (WB), Feb 26: Riding a scooter, Union minister Smriti Irani led a rally of the BJP on Friday as she campaigned for the upcoming West Bengal elections in the South 24 Parganas district.
Taking part in the BJP's state-wide 'Poriborton Yatra', Irani along with BJP MP Roopa Ganguly and Agnimitra Paul began the campaign in Gangajoara near Garia on the party's 'rath' -- a bus decked up with slogans and photos of the leaders.
After covering a short distance, the minister got down from the 'rath' and took to a scooter, wearing a black helmet and a mask.
"When we began the 'rath yatra' today, the administration deliberately tried to delay it. We will ride two-wheelers, walk on foot because West Bengal is on the march towards change," Irani said.
Enthused by the minister's spontanity, scores of BJP workers followed Irani on two-wheelers, chanting "Jai Shri Ram" and "Khela Hobey", meaning 'game on' -- a slogan first raised by the Trinamool Congress, which has now become the catchphrase of this election season.
Irani, the minister of textile, led the rally on the scooter for a few kilometres, often stopping as fervent supporters gathered, choking the road.
The minister interacted with the party's young supporters in fluent Bengali, besides reaching out to the people.
"I want to thank everybody. We are out today to take your blessings. You have already given an opportunity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and during the elections in West Bengal, bless the BJP and the 'Lotus'," she said as a cordless mic was handed to her to speak.
The minister got on to the rath again a few kilometres later till Bhojerhat, around 20 km away from where she started the journey.
Irani's bike rally comes a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to the streets, riding an e-scooter to protest against the steep price rise of petrol and diesel.
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Air India Express cancels 74 flights due to cabin crew shortage; to operate 292 flights
Mumbai (PTI): Faced with cabin crew shortage, Air India Express on Thursday cancelled 74 flights and said Air India will operate services on 20 of its routes to minimise disruptions.
A section of cabin crew has reported sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the airline, which has resulted in the cancellation of more than 90 flights since Tuesday night.
"We will be operating 292 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 74 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport," the airline said in a statement.
In case their flight is cancelled or delayed beyond three hours, the carrier said the passengers may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees.
The number of cancelled flights at 74 translates to around 20 per cent of the airline's scheduled daily flights.
Earlier in the day, sources said the airline has issued termination notices to 25 cabin crew members who had reported sick and asked others to join back for duty by 4 pm on Thursday.
Against this backdrop, Air India Express said it is taking appropriate steps against certain individuals.
"While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests," it added.
