Mahua Moitra on Thursday alleged that she was harassed onboard an IndiGo flight travelling from Kolkata to Delhi after a group of men allegedly shouted political slogans, filmed her inside the aircraft, and created a scene shortly before passengers disembarked. The incident has sparked political reactions and renewed discussions around passenger safety, political hostility, and conduct inside commercial flights.
In a post shared on X, the Trinamool Congress MP claimed that the incident took place while she was travelling to Delhi on official work to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. According to Moitra, she was seated in seat 1F on IndiGo flight 6E 719 when a group of around four to six men boarded the aircraft and allegedly began staring at her in an intimidating manner before moving towards the rear section of the plane.
Moitra stated that the situation escalated after the flight landed in Delhi and before the aircraft doors were opened for passengers to disembark. She alleged that the group began shouting slogans such as “chor chor, TMC chor” and “Jai Shri Ram” while filming videos inside the aircraft. According to her, the slogans also included references targeting Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
The Krishnanagar MP described the episode as a clear case of harassment rather than ordinary political protest. She said the behaviour of the men compromised her safety and created an intimidating environment inside the aircraft. In her statement, Moitra argued that such conduct should not be dismissed as “citizen anger” and insisted that individuals engaging in such actions inside an airplane should face strict consequences.
She further urged IndiGo to examine the onboard crew report, identify the individuals involved in the incident, and place them on the airline’s no-fly list. Moitra also tagged Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu while seeking official intervention and action regarding the matter.
According to sources familiar with the situation, IndiGo would be able to formally investigate the incident only after Mahua Moitra files an official complaint with the airline. Sources also claimed that contrary to some reports circulating online, airline crew members had intervened after the sloganeering began inside the aircraft. Following the intervention by cabin crew, the group of men reportedly stopped raising slogans and complied with instructions given by airline staff.
Airline sources stated that if a formal complaint is submitted by the MP, the airline would initiate an investigation in accordance with established aviation protocols and passenger conduct guidelines. The airline has not yet publicly released any detailed statement regarding the allegations or the identities of those involved.
The incident comes amid a politically charged atmosphere in West Bengal following the recent Assembly election results. The BJP ended the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule in the state by winning 207 out of 294 Assembly seats and is now set to form the government in West Bengal for the first time. The TMC finished far behind with only 80 seats.
Despite the election outcome and the official dissolution of the West Bengal Assembly, Mamata Banerjee has reportedly refused to resign from the post of Chief Minister. Reports have also suggested that she may approach the Supreme Court challenging the election results and related developments.
The episode involving Mahua Moitra has now added another layer of political controversy in the aftermath of the heated election battle, with concerns being raised over political hostility spilling into public spaces such as commercial flights and the broader question of ensuring passenger safety and decorum during air travel.
