Togadia speading venom: Cong, other parties; EC seek recording

April 22, 2014

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New Delhi/Rajkot, Apr 22: Congress and several other parties today came down heavily on Pravin Togadia for "spreading venom" through his reported remarks that Muslims should be stopped from buying property in Hindu areas and said that the VHP leader should be "hospitalised" for treatment.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has sought the recording of the speech made by Togadia in Bhavnagar on Saturday.

"They (EC officials) are in the process of acquiring the recording of the statement made by Togadia and after listening to it they will decide the future course of action," Bhavnagar District Collector and Returning Officer P K Solanki said in Rajkot today.

While NDA ally Shiromani Akali Dal said the Indian society has no place for such people, RSS dismissed the report, saying that "no swayamsevak thinks on such divisive lines."

"He always spreads venom, you know that. And he belongs to that category of people in this country who do not believe in the unity and the integrity of India. What can you say about people like this?," Congress leader and Union Minister Kapil Sibal said.

"It (statement) spreads venom and it is for the authorities to decide," he said.

Togadia had reportedly joined a group of VHP and Bajrang Dal members in a street protest in Rajkot on Saturday outside a house purchased by a Muslim businessman. Togadia reportedly told the gathering to take forcible possession of the house.

Condemning the statement, Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "I think Togadia should be given treatment. He should be hospitalised.

"In this country, if Hindus stay in a Hindu area and Muslims in a Muslim area, and they are not allowed to buy property in each other's areas, it will be against the Constitution," Alvi said.

Naresh Gujaral of Shiromani Akali Dal said while he is not aware of what Togadia has exactly said, India has survived because of its democracy.

"Democracy can survive only if there is accommodation and acceptance for each other....We can't be rigid about these things and anybody who speaks this kind of language has no place in our society," he said.

Denying the reports that Togadia has made such a statement, RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said, "I have spoken to Praveen Togadia. He completely denies making such comments. It is fabricated.

"No Swayamsevak thinks on such divisive lines. They think of all people as one. One people, one nation," he said.

Slamming the statement, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said, "Togadia seems to be influenced by Taliban mentality....No action has been taken against him due to a weak government".

Fatehpuri mosque's Mufti Mukkaram said the VHP leader should be arrested immediately.

The "government should take action against him. The Election Commission should also take action against him. This is conspiracy to spread riots. He should be booked for spreading communal tension," he said.

CPI(M) lashed out at the VHP leader for his "hate speech" and sought his immediate arrest, saying that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who also holds the Home portfolio, should take this action.

"As the Home Minister of Gujarat, Modi should himself act (against Togadia) for his hate speech. If he doesn't, then it is clear that Togadia said all this with his blessings," CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said.

Yechury's party colleague Brinda Karat demanded the immediate arrest of Togadia, saying, "This shows the Modi style of governance of giving protection to those who should be behind bars for his hate speech and communal statement in Bhavnagar."

Yechury said that under the 'Gujarat model', "there has already been compartmentalisation of areas in the state for Hindus and Muslims. This is ghettoisation of India and is the real Gujarat model which is the real danger."

He also demanded immediate action against Togadia by the Election Commission and the law and order machinery.

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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 6,2025

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New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with the Prime Minister outlining an eight-point vision covering key areas of cooperation.

Describing the meeting as “productive”, PM Modi said he shared a roadmap focused on trade and economy, fertilisers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical and strategic minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised King Abdullah II’s personal commitment to advancing India–Jordan relations, particularly as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

“Held productive discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II in Amman. His personal commitment towards vibrant India-Jordan relations is noteworthy. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Modi said.

The meeting took place at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation, fertilisers and agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, and heritage.

The MEA said both leaders reaffirmed their united stand against terrorism.

PM Modi arrived in Amman earlier on Monday and was received by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who accorded him a formal welcome. Following the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties.

Jordan is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation tour. From Amman, the Prime Minister will travel to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking his first official visit to the African nation. The tour will conclude with a visit to Oman.

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