Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Dec 6: Launching a fierce critique of the Centre, the Congress on Saturday charged that the massive disruption in IndiGo’s operations was not an unforeseen crisis but the direct outcome of the BJP government’s long-term push to create a duopoly in India’s aviation sector.

Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, Sasikanth Senthil, said in a statement that the cancellation of over 1,000 IndiGo flights on December 5, 2025, followed by hundreds more on December 6, had brought the nation’s air travel network to a “historic collapse.” He argued that the chaos had exposed vulnerabilities the Centre had repeatedly overlooked.

“This crisis is not a natural failure—it is the predictable result of a government determined to crush competition, reward favourites, and reshape an entire national industry for the benefit of a tiny corporate circle,” the former bureaucrat asserted.

Senthil claimed that aviation, a sector requiring stringent safety oversight, had been destabilised by policies that eased regulatory scrutiny while amplifying the influence of a few private players. He criticised the Centre’s approach to aviation safety, pointing to the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules released on January 8, 2024 and partially enforced from July 1, 2025. He condemned the decision to suspend these rules amid an industry-wide crisis.

“Suspending fatigue-prevention measures for pilots in the middle of turmoil is not just irresponsible—it is alarming. The government has risked passenger safety and thrown pilots into uncertainty, all to serve the convenience of its preferred corporations,” Senthil said.

He further contended that the current administration’s tendency to create monopolies is visible across major infrastructure sectors, where policy and regulation are allegedly being used to bolster a select conglomerate in fields like aviation, telecom, and ports.

The Thiruvallur MP linked the IndiGo turmoil to revelations from the now-invalidated electoral bonds scheme, alleging that data shows InterGlobe group entities purchased roughly Rs 36 crore worth of bonds, while promoter Rahul Bhatia bought about Rs 20 crore—mostly benefiting the BJP.

“These disclosures raise serious questions about how a once-competitive aviation sector has been reduced to a fragile duopoly, and whether financial closeness to the ruling party played a role in this distorted outcome. These issues cut to the core of democratic accountability,” he said.

Calling the situation a “government-manufactured disaster,” Senthil alleged that the chaos has harmed the aviation sector, endangered passengers, shaken markets, and demonstrated a disregard for transparency and fair competition. He concluded that the country is now paying the price for a governance model that prioritises corporate alliances and electoral gain over long-term national stability.