Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary demands judicial probe into Ahmedabad Air India plane crash: 'They don't use it for fun'
Following the tragic plane crash of Air India flight 171 near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said that with privatisation of air travel, there is a need for better safety and security checks in aircraft. The Congress leader also demanded an unbiased judicial probe into the incident.
The Congress leader also said that the plane which crashed, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, has faced technical problems before.
"Today air travel is not just a luxury, but a necessity. People don't use it for fun, but for their work, which has increased the number of passengers too. That is why, with this, we should be paying more attention to the safety and security of aircraft. Dreamliner 787 was already having a technical snag, reportedly. It was also told that in 2024 itself, the technical snags will be fixed," the Congress leader told ANI here.
"On one hand, we are privatising air travel and thus we need to pay more attention to the safety. Now, experts will come from America, Europe, the Black Box will be opened, everything will happen. But I want to say that before the incident even happened, if we had been even more careful then could we have prevented this? We need to find that out," Chowdhary said.
"There should be an unbiased judicial probe in this matter, and this is my demand to the government," he added.
Following the crash, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced safety inspections on Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 fleet.
As a preventive measure, the DGCA has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on B787-8/9 aircraft equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect, in coordination with the concerned regional DGCA offices.
On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI 171, was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
There was only one survivor from the crash, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin who sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Revision of Bihar electoral rolls: Congress says will oppose exercise legally, politically
NEW DELHI: As the EC began its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls, the Congress on Sunday said it will oppose the move legally, politically, and on all fronts. The move invited scathing criticism from the Opposition parties as the EC on Saturday said around 2.93 crore of 7.89 crore voters, or about 37% of the electorate, will have to submit proof of their eligibility. Speaking with this newspaper, Congress leader Praveen Chakravartyquestioned the methodology adopted by the EC to ascertain that 37% of the Bihar electorate will have to re-register. 'How did they get the figure of 37%? This means they have the electoral roll of 2003 in a machine-readable format. Otherwise, it's impossible to analyse and come up with the figure. The Congress has been demanding the Maharashtra electoral rolls for a long time. If they have the 2003 rolls, why are they not showing us the 2024 Maharashtra voter rolls?' said Chakravarty, a member of EAGLE, an eight-member Congress panel tasked with looking into polls. He also pointed out that the EC had mooted a proposal on March 8 for electoral roll cleaning using Aadhaar, which, while not perfect, is a more viable alternative solution than an intensive voter revision in Bihar. 'Why did the EC abandon that to suddenly announce an SIR three months after the Aadhaar proposal?' he asked. The EC's move on June 24, requiring all existing voters who were not on the 2003 rolls to provide proof of their and their parents' citizenship, has also sparked concerns of disenfranchisement and exclusion of the poor and marginalised from voter rolls. 'If I was a voter in 2024 or 2019, that doesn't mean I am a voter now. I have to re-register. Now, they are saying I have to prove my veracity as a voter and prove date and place of birth. Why am I guilty until proven innocent?' he said. Chakravarty also said the EC has come up with arduous rules for providing birth certificates of voters and their parents, depending on the year of birth. Besides Union and state government officials will now dictate who has correct documents and who doesn't, thus dictating who gets to vote in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.
Hans India
43 minutes ago
- Hans India
Expelled leader Eshwarappa hints at return to BJP
Ballari: Expelled BJP leader K S Eshwarappa on Sunday indicated a possible return to the party, saying 'the BJP was his life' and there was no question of him joining any other political outfit. He said he was considering meeting senior BJP leaders and that some within the party were also open to his return. The BJP had expelled Eshwarappa, a former state president and Deputy Chief Minister, for six years last year for violating party discipline and contesting the Lok Sabha polls as an independent from Shivamogga, rebelling against the party's official candidate. Eshwarappa had entered the fray, accusing state BJP chief B Y Vijayendra and his father, veteran leader B S Yediyurappa, of denying his son K E Kantesh a ticket from Haveri. Vijayendra's brother and sitting MP B Y Raghavendra was the BJP candidate from Shivamogga. 'I don't know the details. I only heard through TV reports that BJP workers from the Kuruba community (to which I belong) held a meeting and demanded my return. Some of them spoke kindly about me, but beyond that, I'm not aware of anything,' Eshwarappa said. Speaking to reporters, he said, 'Where will I go if I leave the BJP? My life is at this party. Let's see, I'm thinking of speaking to some senior leaders. I've also heard that some of them are considering my return. After discussions, things may take shape. But I will not leave the BJP for any other party.' Asked whether he had received invitations from other parties, Eshwarappa said some ministers in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had approached him, offering suitable positions for him and his son. He also claimed that Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had invited him. 'Hindutva is like my breath. I joined the BJP because of Hindutva. Even if I die, I won't leave the BJP or Hindutva. So, there is no question of joining any other party,' he added.
Hans India
43 minutes ago
- Hans India
Get your e-khata, protect your property: DKS
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar launched the BBMP and Revenue Department's massive e-khata drive in Sahakara Nagar, under the BTM Layout constituency, calling it a revolutionary step towards securing property rights for citizens. Speaking at the inauguration, DCM Shivakumar emphasized, 'This government guarantees the safety of your life, your property, and your records. We have come to your doorstep with this assurance.' He said that the Congress-led government was not here just for votes, but to protect the livelihoods and assets of citizens. 'We are implementing the e-khata system practically in this constituency under the leadership of Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. We aim to provide property records without bribes and with transparency,' he said. He recalled earlier initiatives like granting ownership to farmers and regularization schemes during SM Krishna's term. He added, 'With the Bhoomi project, we provided land records to farmers at just ₹5.' He informed that of the 25 lakh properties within BBMP limits, five lakh e-khata certificates had been distributed. In the BTM constituency alone, 50,000 properties had been processed.'From July 1, a month-long e-khata campaign will be conducted. Citizens can upload their documents online or contact the helpline, and officials will visit their homes to assist.' The government is also rolling out an initiative to approve building plans (up to 50x80 ft plots) within a single day via registered engineers—part of a new 'Trusted Map' system. So far, 9,000 plans have been approved under this system. The Deputy Chief Minister also highlighted major infrastructure projects worth over ₹1 lakh crore to improve traffic and urban development in Bengaluru, including PRR road passing through the BTM constituency. He assured that discussions were on to resolve issues arising from a recent Supreme Court judgment restricting electricity and water connections to buildings without plan approvals. 'More than how long we stay in power, what we accomplish while in office matters. Just like we remember Kempegowda, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, and SM Krishna, I hope people will always remember Krishna Byre Gowda as the leader who secured your property,' he concluded, urging votersto elect him in the next election with a margin of one lakh votes
