BSP unusually silent as corruption probe looms

May 18, 2012

Lucknow, May 18: The skeletons are tumbling out of the corruption cupboard, but Uttar Pradesh's former ruling party, the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), is unusually quiet — not even reacting to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's allegation that it was involved in scams of over Rs400 billion (Dh26.8 billion).

Yadav, who is from the Samajwadi Party (SP), accused his predecessor Mayawati late on Tuesday of presiding over the plunder of the state and said her government was involved in scams of over Rs400 billion. The normally pugnacious Mayawati, who is now in the Rajya Sabha, has been quiet.

And her party has gone into a huddle in the state, trying to fight the growing public perception in the wake of evidence that the Mayawati government was mired in a series of political and financial irregularities.

Even BSP leaders like Mayawati's close aide Swamy Prasad Maurya, who has been accusing Yadav and the SP of indulging in political vendettas, have chosen not to speak on the issue.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior BSP leader said that much of the party was still smarting from the debacle in the state assembly polls two months ago and was not mobilised enough to take on the onslaught by the SP government. The party's tally in the assembly slipped from 206 to a paltry 85.

"Behenji [Mayawati] is sitting in Delhi, attending parliament, as we are faced with such an attack against us. How do we cope with all this? Nobody knows," a BSP office-bearer told IANS.

Maximum mileage

The SP is extracting the maximum mileage out of the situation.

Yadav told reporters late on Tuesday that scams were being unearthed slowly and steadily and a commission would be constituted soon.

"In [the] days to come you will see many more multi-crore scams being unearthed," he said.

Health minister Ahmad Hassan told IANS: "It is beyond doubt that Mayawati had her hands in the loot and I am sure that in due course of time, the long arm of the law will catch up with her and her cronies."

Yadav has already directed officials to escalate the probe into the sprawling Dalit Prerna Sthal park in Noida, which was inaugurated by Mayawati near the end of her five-year term.

Ombudsman's report

The Lokayukta has already given his report against many ministers of the BSP government, said a senior official.

The SP government is understood to be on the verge of okaying the demand for a CBI probe against some ministers, he added.

As former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh put it: "If the chief minister alleges that there were scams to the tune of Rs400 billion, we have to take the charge seriously. And the complicity of Mayawati in such scams cannot be ruled out, direct or indirect."

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IndiGo meltdown: 200 flights cancelled; Bengaluru hit hard with 42 cancellations

News Network

December 3,2025

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is battling one of its worst operational disruptions in recent years, with hundreds of delays and cancellations throwing domestic travel into chaos.

Government data on Tuesday showed its on-time performance plunging to 35%, an unusual dip for a carrier long associated with punctuality.

By Wednesday afternoon, airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad had collectively reported close to 200 cancellations, stranding travellers across the country.

Crew Shortage After New Duty Norms

A major trigger behind the meltdown is a severe crew shortage, especially among pilots, following the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms last month.

The rules mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters — a shift IndiGo has struggled to incorporate across its vast network.

Sources said several flights were grounded due to lack of cabin crew, while some delays stretched upwards of eight hours.

With IndiGo controlling over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, the ripple effect has impacted airports nationwide.

IndiGo Issues Apology, Lists “Compounding Factors”

In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the large-scale disruption:

“We sincerely apologise to customers. A series of unforeseen operational challenges — technology glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system congestion and updated FDTL norms — created a compounding impact that could not have been anticipated.”

To stabilise operations, the airline has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours, aiming to restore punctuality. Affected passengers are being offered refunds or alternate travel arrangements, IndiGo said.

What the FDTL Rules Require

The FDTL norms, designed to reduce pilot fatigue, cap duty and flying hours as follows:
•   Maximum 8 hours of flying per day
•   35 hours per week
•   125 hours per month
•   1,000 hours per year

Crew must also receive rest equalling twice the flight duration, with a minimum 10-hour rest period in any 24-hour window.

The DGCA introduced these limits to enhance flight safety.

Hyderabad: 33 Flights Cancelled, Long Queues Reported

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw heavy early-morning crowds as 33 IndiGo flights (arrivals and departures) were cancelled.

The airport clarified on X that operations were normal, advising passengers to contact IndiGo directly for latest flight status.

Cancellations included flights to and from Visakhapatnam, Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Madurai, Hubli, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

Bengaluru: 42 Flights Disrupted

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport recorded 42 cancellations — 22 arrivals and 20 departures — affecting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Passengers Vent on Social Media

Irate travellers took to X to share their experiences. One passenger stranded in Hyderabad wrote: “I have been here since 3 a.m. and missed an important meeting.”

Another said: “My flight was pushed from 1:55 PM to 2:55 PM and now 4:35 PM. I was informed only three minutes before entering the airport.”

Delhi Airport Hit by Tech Glitch

At Delhi Airport, the disruption deepened due to a slowdown in the Amadeus system — used for reservations, check-ins and departure control.

The technical issue led to longer queues and sluggish processing, adding to delays already worsened by staff shortages.

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