Hours after a video went viral, wherein a woman was seen arguing with Union Minister K. J. Alphons after her flight was delayed by two hours, the former said on Wednesday that because of one person others should not be made to suffer and the VVIP culture needed to be stopped.
"I was waiting and crying, so I approached him (K. J. Alphons), thinking a minister can give a solution, as he has certain powers. I wanted a solution so that I could reach my brother's funeral. Everyone has their own issues in life and I think for one person that should not be hampered. This VVIP culture should be stopped," Dr. Nirala Singh, who argued with the minister, told media.
Dr. Singh, who was supposed to reach Patna to attend her brother's funeral on Tuesday, missed her connecting flight from Kolkata to Patna as her Imphal-Kolkata flight got allegedly delayed by two hours due to closure of airspace on account of President Ram Nath Kovind's arrival at the airport.
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Meanwhile, Union Minister Alphons refuted allegations on Wednesday that a flight was delayed because of the VVIP movement at the Imphal airport.
Speaking to ANI, Alphons said, "I don't think there is any controversy at all. I saw this lady in distress and I went up to talk to her. She said she has to attend a funeral in Patna. I told her that there is a protocol when the president or the prime minister is landing no flight can take off."
"Apart from the prime minister and the president, there is no protocol for any minister. The woman had to talk to someone; it is fine with me that she vented her anger on me," he said.
Following the incident, the airport director said, "Yesterday, no scheduled flight was diverted or cancelled. But three scheduled flights were delayed by around two hours due to the president of India's flight movement."
PTI