TDP MP Diwakar Reddy denied ticket by TruJet; airline apologises later

Hyderabad: Barred by domestic airlines for his rude behaviour at Visakhapatnam airport last month, TDP MP JC Diwakar Reddy faced more embarrassment as TruJet refused to fly him on Sunday. The regional airline later apologised to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader saying the staff could have assumed that he was still under the flying ban. An aide of Lok Sabha member from Anantapur wanted to book the ticket for Hyderabad-Vijayawada but the staff at the ticketing counter at Hyderabad Airport refused to issue the ticket. [caption id=“attachment_3793801” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Diwakar Reddy. ANI/Twitter[/caption] TruJet, which was not among the airlines which barred the MP from flying after he created ruckus at Vizag Airport, has apologised to Reddy. Earlier, on Saturday night the minister was reportedly not allowed to board SpiceJet flight from Hyderabad to Vijayawada. He had reached Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad but was informed by the airline staff that he can’t board the flight. The MP, who returned after two-week long vacation abroad, again failed in his attempt to fly on Sunday morning. He then left for Vijayawada by road. Reddy had gone on a vacation abroad after the 15 June incident at Visakhapatnam airport. He had shouted at IndiGo officials, tried to throw a printer on the floor and pushed a senior airline official after he was denied boarding pass for reporting late for his flight from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad. The 73-year-old however, later flew by the same flight as he had reportedly sought intervention of Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who was present at the airport. Raju, who is also from the TDP, however denied helping the MP in boarding the flight. The minister also said there was no need for a probe as the CCTV footage has a time stamp too. Following the incident, various airlines including Air India had barred him from flying. TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had expressed unhappiness over the MP’s behaviour and had advised him to apologise to the airline staff. He, however, has not yet tendered an apology.