The de-boarding of a Kerala MP from an Air India aircraft on Monday snowballed into a major row with the Parliamentarian being accused of calling the pilot a "glorified driver" while the politician threatened to move Parliament's Privileges Committee on the issue.
Charges flew thick and fast and denials followed with Rajya Sabha MP P V Abdul Wahab alleging "rude" behaviour by the pilot and the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) claiming that the IUMl leader "opened the cockpit door, entered inside and abused the pilot".
But the MP, who was a resident of the UAE for the last 32 years, and shifted residence to Kerala after becoming a Rajya Sabha MP, said after reaching Dubai he never entered the cockpit. An Air India official also denied that the pilot had spoken rudely.
Wahab and his wife were to fly from Kozhikode to Kochi from where they were to catch a connecting flight to Dubai but were ordered to disembark. The pilot also reportedly questioned an airline official why the plane was being delayed after they allegedly reached late. The couple reached Dubai by another flight.
Supporting the pilot, Capt Rajat Rana the ICPA said it would protest if any action was taken against him.
ICPA General Secretary Capt Vikram Yadav said the MP was asked to disembark from the aircraft only after he "entered a totally restricted zone which is illegal."
The passenger was abusing the pilot by calling him "a glorified driver" even on ground and had threatened to get him "grounded", he claimed and asserted that "if any action is taken against the pilot, the ICPA will fully back him".
Contacted, an Air India spokesperson said, "We are ascertaining the facts in view of different versions coming out on the incident."
