VVIP culture: MP travels solo in airport bus in Patna

Close on the heels of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulting an Air India official, another instance of ‘VVIP culture’ was witnessed at Patna’s Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport. A BJP MP was provided a bus all for himself to go from the airport building to where the aircraft was parked.

Hukumdeo Narain Yadav, who was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, was travelling from Patna to New Delhi by Jet Airways flight 9W0724 on Sunday. Eyewitnesses said the Lok Sabha member travelled all by himself in a bus provided to him by the airlines while other passengers were left waiting to board the plane.

“I can understand if special privileges are accorded to the President or prime minister. But if this kind of VVIP treatment is meted out even to MPs, then it becomes objectionable,” said a passenger. The five-term Lok Sabha member from Madhubani said that he had never sought any special privileges from any airlines. “You should ask the Jet personnel why they provided me with a bus to travel alone. I was not even aware that I will be travelling alone up to the aircraft,” said Hukumdeo.

The lawmaker said the incident could be the handiwork of his opponents to tarnish his image as his name was being considered for the post of the Vice President. Though no Jet Airways official was willing to react on the issue, sources said this was not the first time that the Patna airport has been in the news for the wrong reasons.