AI flight delay: Never said won’t travel without team, had already boarded, says Devendra Fadnavis

I reiterate,the reports of me delaying flight are misleading.Infact when I’d already boarded how can I say I wont travel without delegation?

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 2, 2015

If at all any report that has been submitted, states that I refused to travel without my delegation then it is a blatant lie because…

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 2, 2015

He added, “If at all any report that has been submitted states that I refused to travel without my delegation then it is a blatant lie because passengers sitting besides and behind me are witness that I was sitting quietly waiting for departure. Not even once did I ask to offload me.”

In an angry outburst, Fadnavis posted on Twitter: “Enough is enough. Once I am back to India, I will initiate proceedings of criminal defamation.”

..passengers sitting besides & behind me are witness that I was sitting quietly waiting for departure. Not even once I asked to offload me.

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 2, 2015

Enough is enough. Once I m back to India I will initiate proceedings of criminal defamation.

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 2, 2015

On June 29, the Air India flight the CM and his delegation took to New York was delayed by a few hours and it was alleged that the delay happened because the travel documents of Principal Secretary Praveen Pardeshi, who was part of the team, were not in order. While AI had officially attributed the delay to a “technical snag”, some media reports said the chief minister did not want to fly without the senior official.

The controversy has led to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking a factual report.

Sources said Fadnavis had already placed on record all the facts and the same had been conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

On June 29, when Fadnavis and his delegation were boarding the flight that was scheduled to depart from Mumbai at 1.30 am, Pardeshi was not allowed to board as his passport did not have valid visa to travel to America. It was found that Pardeshi was carrying his new passport instead of the old one that had US visa stamped on it. The valid passport eventually reached him but it caused a 50-minute delay. Sources said the initial delay led to further delay due to non-clearance to the flight by the Air Traffic Control.