Dubai Based NRI MP Abdul Wahab Deplaned for Coming Late
Agencies
Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 9: Irked over the ‘rude’ behaviour of an Indian Airlines pilot towards him, Rajya Sabha member P V Abdul Wahab said he will take up the issue with the Privileges Committee of Parliament.
“If this is the kind of treatment that a Parliament member has to face then what would be the experience of the common man,” local media quoted Wahab as saying in Dubai on Tuesday. Wahab will also raise the matter in Parliament’s consultative committee on civil aviation in which he is a member, reports said.
The MP, a leading entrepreneur and Muslim League leader, denied the contention of the airline officials that he had arrived at Kozhikode airport late and had caused the flight to be delayed on Monday. Wahab and his wife came out of the Indian Airlines flight to Kochi after the pilot of the aircraft allegedly spoke to him rudely.
Wahab, who was planning to catch a connecting flight to Dubai, flew by another direct flight to the Gulf cancelling his programme in Kochi. An airline official however denied that the pilot had used rude language towards the MP.
Wahab said he had not boarded the flight late and had come well on time.”I came early to the airport and was in the airport lounge along with airport officials,’ he said. Wahab said he wanted to go early to Kochi as he had to attend a meeting, but the flight was delayed.
“The fault was not mine at all. The flight came 20 minutes late from Bahrain’, television channels quoted him as saying. Denying that he had come to the airport late, Wahab said, “People may be thinking that because I am an MP I was misusing my position’.
Wahab said he was about to board the flight and the duty manager was accompanying him, when the pilot came charging down and angrily spoke to the duty manager asking him why he was bringing passengers late. Wahab said he intervened when the pilot continued to vent his anger on the duty manager. Though the official introduced Wahab as an MP, the pilot continued to speak angrily.
The MP said he will take up the matter with the Parliament’s Privileges Committee.