Revoke special privileges to politicians, babus and judges: MP to DGCA

NEW DELHI: Opposing special privileges given to MPs, Lok Sabha MP Ajay Kumar today sought revocation of all such privileges granted by airlines to politicians, bureaucrats and judges.

In a letter to DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar, the MP from Jamshedpur representing Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) said he was against granting special privileges which a normal citizen does not have access to.

"Politicians can be absolutely abrasive and very uncouth at airports and misuse the respect which is accorded to their office. However, politicians are only one part of the issue," he said.

Kumar said "the biggest abuse of the special privileges is done by bureaucrats and judges. Air India has suffered immensely in the past and continues to do so due to this reason. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, anybody who has any kind of position or power in India, goes on to misuse it."

The MP urged the DGCA to "revoke these special privileges to politicians, bureaucrats and judges."

His letter came in the wake of the government asking private airlines to give special privileges like lounge access and faster security clearance to MPs, sparking a furore with some politicians denouncing it for not being in sync with the times.