Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 1(ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Sunday alleged that the Central government may be trying to cover up a big scam in national carrier Air India by targeting pilots.

Rudy also said that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh must clarify the situation.

“We would like to know clearly from whatever discussions are going on, whether country’s Prime Minister wants to cover up the big fraud, big loot or a big loss of about Rs.16,000 crore of citizen’s money. Has the central government decided to shut down Air India to cover up the whole loss or loot and mismanagement holding pilots responsible?”

“People of the country would like to know. With this one more question arises that with the shutdown of Air India who will be benefited and who will be in loss. This is a big question that we would like to ask from country’s Prime Minister,” he added.

Over 800 pilots of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), who belonged to the Indian Airlines and were employed by Air India after the merger of the two carriers in 2007, have been on an indefinite strike since April 27 demanding pay parity.

The ICPA claims that while Air India pilots enjoy a huge fixed salary component, the same is almost minuscule for former IA pilots in 2007.

Up to 90 per cent of Air India’s flights have been affected by a pilots’ strike that entered its fifth day on Sunday.

ICPA General Secretary Captain Rishabh Kapoor had earlier said that the pilots would blink first.

“Airline CMD Arvind Jadhav has misled the ministry and continues doing it. As long as he is around, I see no way the airline can function. There is not a single employee who is satisfied. If the minister does not get him out and get someone else in, the CBI will get to him. It’s a matter of time,” Kapoor said. (ANI)