Mahua Moitra (Trinamool Congress) said she was harassed by a group of men on an IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Delhi [1].
The incident highlights the growing tension between political rivals in India and the challenges of maintaining security and decorum during domestic air travel.
Moitra traveled from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport to Indira Gandhi International Airport on May 7, 2026 [2]. According to the MP, a group of four to six men targeted her during the flight [3]. The men shouted political slogans, including "chor TMC chor" and "Jai Shri Ram," while filming her with their devices [1].
Moitra said the men used these slogans and recording as a form of intimidation linked to political rivalry [4]. She described the behavior as harassment and called for action against the unruly passengers [2].
Following the encounter, Moitra filed a formal complaint with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) [1]. She requested that the aviation regulator take steps to address the conduct of the passengers involved in the incident [2].
The MP emphasized that such behavior on a commercial flight is unacceptable. The incident occurred during a period of heightened political friction, and Moitra said the targeted nature of the slogans indicated a deliberate attempt to provoke her [4].
“a group of four to six men targeted her during the flight”
This incident underscores the spillover of India's polarized political climate into public and commercial spaces. By filing a complaint with the DGCA, Moitra is pushing for a regulatory response to passenger misconduct that is specifically politically motivated, testing whether aviation authorities will treat political harassment as a breach of flight safety and passenger conduct rules.
