RSS, Bajrang Dal, VHP should not try to disturb peace in WB: Mamata

Agencies

September 16, 2017

Kolkata, Sep 16: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that the RSS, Bajrang Dal and VHP should not try to disturb peace in the state during the coming Durga Puja and warned that they should not play with fire.

Stating that her government did not put any curb on celebration of Vijaya Dashami rituals, Banerjee said, "There is misinformation campaign by certain outfits that we are stopping Vijaya Dashami celebrations at puja pandals and households."

"What we had said is on the day of ekadashi on October one there will be no immersions. Muharram, which is an occasion of mourning by the Muslim community, falls on the same date. Immersion will resume as usual from October two to four," she told reporters at the state secretariat.

"Women will put sindoor on each other and Vijaya Dashami rituals will be observed as usual. Those having no inkling about Durga Puja and Kali Puja celebrations in Bengal are spreading all sorts of rumours," she said.

Banerjee said that her government was determined to maintain peace and harmony during the coming Durga Puja festival.

The RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal should not try to disturb peace and play with fire, she said, adding that Durga Puja had been traditionally celebrated with amity in Bengal where lakhs of people hit the streets.

"If someone tries to disrupt peace, the administration will take stern action," she said.

Banerjee said the "BJP should not do politics using CBI, ED and foment riots".The CM also said the police had recently foiled an attempt by the BJP to create communal problem at a place in the state and arrested two of its members.

The chief minister said that her administration would not allow any procession in the state with arms on the day of immersion.

Banerjee said, "This is illegal and such processions have not been Bengal's tradition and we will not allow it to take place.

"The administration will take strong action if there was any attempt to take out such procession."

She also urged members of the Muslim community to peacefully take out their procession during Muharram.

The state government had told the court that it has allowed immersion of Durga idols on Vijaya Dashami day till 10 pm to ensure law and order.

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Chaos continues as IndiGo cancels more flights including 73 from Bengaluru airport

News Network

December 4,2025

Domestic carrier IndiGo has cancelled over 180 flights from three major airports — Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru — on Thursday, December 4, as the airline struggles to secure the required crew to operate its flights in the wake of new flight-duty and rest-period norms for pilots.

While the number of cancellations at Mumbai airport stands at 86 (41 arrivals and 45 departures) for the day, at Bengaluru, 73 flights have been cancelled, including 41 arrivals, according to a PTI report that quoted sources.

"IndiGo cancelled over 180 flights on Thursday at three airports-Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru," the source told the news agency.

Besides, it had cancelled as many as 33 flights at Delhi airport for Thursday, the source said, adding, "The number of cancellations is expected to be higher by the end of the day."

The Gurugram-based airline's On-Time Performance (OTP) nosedived to 19.7 per cent at six key airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad — on December 3, as it struggled to get the required crew to operate its services, down from almost half of December 2, when it was 35 per cent.

"IndiGo has been facing acute crew shortage since the implementation of the second phase of the FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) norms, leading to cancellations and huge delays in its operations across the airports," a source had told PTI on Wednesday.

Chaos continued at several major airports for the third day on Thursday because of the cancellations.

A spokesperson for the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru said that 73 IndiGo flights had been cancelled on Thursday.

At least 150 flights were cancelled and dozens of others delayed on Wednesday, airport sources said, leaving thousands of travellers stranded, according to news agency Reuters.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said it is investigating IndiGo flight disruptions and has asked the airline to submit the reasons for the current situation, as well as its plans to reduce flight cancellations and delays.

It may be mentioned here that the pilots' body, Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), has alleged that IndiGo, despite getting a two-year preparatory window before the full implementation of new flight duty and rest period norms for cockpit crew, "inexplicably" adopted a "hiring freeze".

The FIP said it has urged the safety regulator, the DGCA, not to approve airlines' seasonal flight schedules unless they have adequate staff to operate their services "safely and reliably" in accordance with the New Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.

In a letter to the DGCA late on Wednesday, the FIP urged the DGCA to consider re-evaluating and reallocating slots to other airlines, which have the capacity to operate them without disruption during the peak holiday and fog season if IndiGo continues to "fail in delivering on its commitments to passengers due to its own avoidable staffing shortages."

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