Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. ANI
New Delhi: Amid calls for inquiry into allegations of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann being deplaned from a Delhi-bound flight at the Frankfurt airport as he was drunk, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that it was up to Lufthansa airlines to provide the details of the incident and based on that he would look into the matter.
“The incident took place on international soil. We’ll have to make sure we verify facts. It’s up to Lufthansa to provide data. I’ll certainly, based on request sent to me, look into it,” said Scindia.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had on Monday alleged that Mann was deplaned from Lufthansa flight because of being in an inebriated state.
“Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Pb CM @BhagwantMann was deplaned from Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP’s national convention. These reports have embarrassed & shamed Punjabis all over the globe,” he tweeted.
However, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang called the allegations baseless and bogus, and accused the rival parties of indulging in a negative propaganda to defame the chief minister.
“The allegations are baseless, bogus and false,” Kang said and alleged that the opposition parties were spreading canards against the chief minister as they cannot digest the fact that he was working hard to get investments into the state.
A spokesperson of Lufthansa airline said, “Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change.”
Mann returned from his eight-day trip from Germany on Monday where he had gone to attract investments.
Badal, in another tweet, also expressed shock that the state government is silent over the issue.
“Shockingly, Pb govt is mum over these reports involving their CM @BhagwantMann @ArvindKejriwal needs to come clean on this issue. Govt of India must step in as this involves Punjabi & national pride. If he was deplaned, GoI must raise the issue with its German counterpart,” he said.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition of Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa sought an inquiry into the matter and shot off a letter to Scindia.
News streaming on social media that Bhagwant Mann was offloaded along with his entourage from a Lufthansa flight on Saturday at Frankfurt airport, since he was found to be in an inebriated state and declared unfit to travel, is doing the rounds.
“If it were true, it certainly is a bad reflection on the office Bhagwant Mann is holding. Therefore I would request you, kindly initiate an inquiry for verification of this news from the Lufthansa airlines as it involves not only an individual but the office he represents and such a conduct deserves to be deprecated,” Bajwa stated in the letter.
Meanwhile, Kang sought an unconditional apology from Badal and Bajwa for their “false and frivolous” allegations against Mann.
“It is extremely condemnable that the opposition leaders have levelled allegations against Mann without even checking the facts,” Kang said.
With inputs from agencies
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