Mahua Moitra, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP from Krishnanagar, filed a formal complaint after being harassed on an IndiGo flight to Delhi [1].
The incident highlights the intensifying friction between political figures and the public in India, where ideological disputes frequently spill over into private transport and public spaces.
Moitra said she was targeted by a group of men during the flight on May 8, 2026 [1]. According to reports, the passengers shouted slogans such as "chor, chor TMC chor," "Trinamool eer shob chor," and "Jai Shree Ram" [2]. The term "chor" translates to thief, targeting both the lawmaker and her party.
"I was harassed by a group of men onboard an IndiGo flight to Delhi," Moitra said [3]. She said that the verbal abuse and chanting created an environment that threatened her safety while in the air.
"It was harassment and it affected my safety on board the flight," Moitra said [1].
The lawmaker's complaint seeks accountability for the disruption and the targeted nature of the slogans. The incident occurred on May 8, 2026 [1], as she traveled toward the national capital. Moitra has frequently been a vocal critic of the current administration, often making her a target for political opponents and supporters of the ruling party.
IndiGo has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the specific measures taken to handle the disruption during the flight. The use of the slogan "Jai Shree Ram"—a religious chant often adopted as a political marker—alongside accusations of theft suggests a coordinated effort to intimidate the MP during the journey.
“"It was harassment and it affected my safety on board the flight."”
This incident reflects the growing trend of political polarization in India, where the use of religious slogans and targeted accusations of corruption are used to intimidate elected officials. By filing a formal complaint, Moitra is attempting to establish a legal boundary between political dissent and personal harassment, testing whether airline safety protocols and civil laws can protect public figures from coordinated verbal abuse in confined spaces.
