PM Modi on IndiGo chaos: 'Rules and laws not to harass people'

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju shared details of the PM's comments on the IndiGo crisis.

Amid the ongoing IndiGo flight crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed upon the need to “ensure rules and regulations improve governance and do not force hardship on Indian citizens."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on said Tuesday shared details of the PM’s remarks on the aviation sector crisis during a meeting of NDA MPs.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that no citizen of India faces any hardship from the government simply because they are Indian citizens. Rules and regulations are good… but they should be used to improve the system, not harass the public," said PM Modi according to Rjiju.

The NDA lawmakers met ahead of a debate in Parliament on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of India’s voter rolls.  The government has said it will crack down on IndiGo.

According to Hindustan Times, more than 4,000 flights have been cancelled since December 2. The airline, which operates about 2,200 flights a day, said it was facing pilot shortages after it failed to adapt to the new pilot rest and duty rules introduced by the Centre last year.

IndiGo continued to reel under a prolonged operational disruption as the crisis entered its eighth consecutive day on Tuesday. Amid the chaos, IndiGo has reportedly lost 5% of its flying routes and is seeking more time to stabilise its operations.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said his ministry would make an "example of  the budget airline" – which has refunded over Rs 830 crore so far and lost another Rs 37,000 crore in market value. "We care for pilots, crew and passengers. We made it clear to all the airlines. IndiGo was supposed to manage the crew and roster. Passengers faced a lot of difficulties. We are not taking the situation lightly. We will take strict action. We will set an example for every airline. If there will be any non-compliance, we will act," he told Parliament this week.

During Tuesday's Parliament session, the IndiGo crisis is also expected to be discussed in the Lok Sabha by  Naidu.