AS GOVT ORDERS PROBE, ‘UNRULY’ TDP LEADER FLIES TO EUROPE

Desam Party MP J C Diwakar Reddy — who is in the eye of a storm over his alleged unruly behaviour with IndiGo Airlines staff at Visakhapatnam airport — left for Paris late Friday night on a holiday even as the civil aviation ministry ordered inquiry into the flight fracas.

Party sources said Reddy, along with his 12-member family contingent took a 9:50 pm Emirates Flight to Paris via Dubai. He would be touring different countries of Europe. “It is purely his personal trip and was booked well in advance. It has nothing to do with the Thursday’s incident at Visakhapatnam,” sources said.

Reddy allegedly shouted at Indigo staff and pushed employees before throwing a printer because he was denied boarding for arriving late on Thursday.

Full-service carrier Vistara and budget airlines -- GoAir and AirAsia India -- on Friday barred Reddy from their flights. Air India, SpiceJet and Jet Airways followed IndiGo on Thursday, which imposed the flying ban on him.

Reddy, who represents Anantapur constituency, has reportedly told his party leadership that there was no question of tendering any apology to the airlines staff, notwithstanding the ban by all the major airlines in the country on his domestic air travel.

He conveyed the same to his colleague in Parliament CM Ramesh, who advised him to tender an apology to end the controversy.