It is not uncommon for our political leaders to flout regulations. But, when challenged, it is not leader-like to blame the violation on lesser mortals. BJP chief Rajnath Singh, with a few other party leaders took off in a chartered eight-seater plane from an unlit airstrip in Jharkand after dusk. The airstrip where no nightlanding/takeoff is allowed, was lit up with the headlights of jeeps and other vehicles on VIP convoy that were lined up along the runway.
A clear violation of safety norms, the BJP leadership has passed the buck, saying that the night take-off was ‘entirely the pilot’s decision’. Admittedly, the pilot has some explaining to do. But can his VIP passenger be allowed to get away with it ? Maybe the bright idea for taking off under jeep lights was the pilot’s, but there was no way he could have acted on it without the concurrance of his VIP passengers. BJP’s denial of any responsibility for the incident doesn’t enhance the image of its leader. Isn’t Mr Singh accountable for whatever happened ? Isn’t leadership about owning up, instead of abdicating, responsibility in such sticky situation ?
Filed under: Airport, Aviation, BJP, Media, New Delhi, Politics | 1 Comment »
