'Anti-national' forces trying to derail efforts to end farmers protest: RSS

News Network
March 19, 2021

Bengaluru, Mar 19: The RSS on Friday claimed "anti-national and anti-social" forces were trying to thwart efforts towards finding a solution to the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three central farm laws and said it is not in anyone's interest for any kind of protest to be prolonged.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, holding a two-day meeting (March 19, 20) of its Akhila Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the highest decision-making body of the organisation, here from Friday said discussions were a must and some agreements must be reached even if not all issues could be sorted out.

The farmers have been staging protests for over 100 days on the borders of Delhi against the three contentious farms laws, demanding that they be repealed as several rounds of talks held by the Centre have failed to break the ice.

"It is not in anyone's interest for any kind of agitation to be prolonged for a long time. Discussions are a must, but with a view to finding a solution. It is possible that not all issues are agreed upon, but it is essential that some agreements must be reached upon," RSS said in its Report-2021

It was also a matter of concern that day-to-day life remained affected due to agitations and "the problem becomes more serious when anti-national and anti-social forces try to thwart the ongoing efforts towards a solution," it said cautioning that the leadership of the present agitation should not allow such a situation to arise.

Noting that in the near past, "we have felt that such anti-national forces are trying to create an environment of disturbance and instability in the country to achieve their political ambitions", the Sangh said, "We believe that there are no unsolvable problems. What is needed is sincere efforts."

In a democracy, all have the freedom of expressing their views, but none can be given the right to create disturbance and instability in the country, it said.

Pointing out that the three bills relating to agriculture were passed by a majority in Parliament and farmer organisations opposing the action through protests, the RSS said the intensity of the agitation increased with time.

Several rounds of talks went on between the government representatives and agitating farmer organisations, but the agitators remained firm on their demand despite the government accepting a few proposals to modify the laws, it said.

Intensifying their agitation, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha has given a call for 'Sampurna Bharat Bandh' on March 26 and on March 28 the protestors will burn copies of the three laws during 'holika dehan'.

The three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers, largely from Punjab and Haryana, have been maintaining these laws would lead to eliminating the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and allow big corporates to dominate.

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News Network
December 5,2025

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New Delhi, Dec 5: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a public apology this evening after more than a thousand flights were cancelled today, making it the "most severely impacted day" in terms of cancellations. The biggest airline of the country cancelled "more than half" of its daily number of flights on Friday, said Elbers. He also said that even though the crisis will persist on Saturday, the airline anticipates fewer than 1,000 flight cancellations.

"Full normalisation is expected between December 10 and 15, though IndiGo cautions that recovery will take time due to the scale of operations," the IndiGo CEO said. 

IndiGo operates around 2,300 domestic and international flights daily.

Pieter Elbers, while apologising for the major inconvenience due to delays and cancellations, said the situation is a result of various causes.

The crisis at IndiGo stems from new regulations that boost pilots' weekly rest requirements by 12 hours to 48 and allow only two night-time landings per week, down from six. IndiGo has attributed the mass cancellations to "misjudgment and planning gaps".

Elbers also listed three lines of action that the airline will adopt to address the issue.

"Firstly, customer communication and addressing your needs, for this, messages have been sent on social media. And just now, a more detailed communication with information, refunds, cancellations and other customer support measures was sent," he said.

The airline has also stepped up its call centre capacity.

"Secondly, due to yesterday's situation, we had customers stranded mostly at the nation's largest airports. Our focus was for all of them to be able to travel today itself, which will be achieved. For this, we also ask customers whose flights are cancelled not to come to the airports as notifications are sent," the CEO said.

"Thirdly, cancellations were made for today to align our crew and planes to be where they need to start tomorrow morning afresh. Earlier measures of the last few days, regrettable, have proven not to be enough, but we have decided today to reboot all our systems and schedules, resulting in the highest numbers of cancellations so far, but imperative for progressive improvements starting from tomorrow," he added.

As airports witnessed chaotic scenes, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stepped in to grant IndiGo a temporary exemption from stricter night duty rules for pilots. It also allowed substitution of leaves with a weekly rest period. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said a high-level inquiry will be ordered and accountability will be fixed.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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News Network
December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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