E P Jayarajan travels by IndiGo two years after self-imposed boycott of airline

Kozhikode (Kerala): Over two years after he decided to never travel by IndiGo, former LDF convener E P Jayarajan on Thursday night travelled to Delhi on the airline from Karipur airport here.

Jayarajan had in July 2022 decided not to travel by that airline after it imposed a three-week flying ban on him for his involvement in a scuffle onboard an IndiGo aircraft that was also carrying Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Confirming that he travelled on the low-cost airline, the CPI(M) leader said that he opted for Indigo in order to quickly reach Delhi to pay his respects to late party general secretary Sitaram Yechury who died on Thursday.

Jayarajan said that Yechury was bigger than everything else and reaching Delhi quickly was more important than what he had stated about the airline two years ago.

On June 13, 2022, two Youth Congress workers shouted slogans against the chief minister inside the IndiGo aircraft from Kannur, after it landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport. Jayarajan, who was also onboard, allegedly pushed aside the two protesters.

Following that, the airline imposed a three-week flying ban on the CPI(M) leader and a two-week flying ban on the two Youth Congress workers who had raised slogans against the CM on board the aircraft.

In the wake of the airline's decision, he had lashed out at it by saying that neither he nor his family will ever travel by IndiGo -- nationally or internationally -- and there are other airlines in the country which are more reputable and offer a much better service.

He had also said that he would rather walk to his destination than board an IndiGo flight ever again in his life.

The Youth Congress workers had protested against the chief minister over allegations against him in a gold smuggling case.

The two protestors and another Youth Congress member were booked for attempted murder by the Kerala police in connection with the incident.