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Dammam, April 26: Chaos and frustration gripped King Fahd International Airport, Dammam, after Air India Express Flight IX484, scheduled to depart for Bengaluru at 8:30 PM on 25 April 2025, was delayed indefinitely due to repeated “technical issues,” leaving over 150 passengers stranded.

According to affected passengers, after an overnight delay, airline officials informed them the technical problems had been “temporarily fixed” and instructed them to board at 1:30 PM (KSA time) on 26 April. However, the situation deteriorated further when the aircraft taxied to the runway — only to halt abruptly on the runway itself, with passengers once again left without clear communication or resolution.

Several passengers provided live updates, expressing grave concerns over safety standards, poor crisis management, and a lack of transparency by the airline’s ground staff.

 “This is not just mismanagement; it is sheer negligence. Passenger lives are being put at serious risk,” said one distressed traveler.

Adding to the growing alarm, Dr P.A. Hameed Padubidri, a noted pro-bono lawyer and social worker who has resided in Saudi Arabia for over two decades, commented:

“I have been in continuous contact with the stranded passengers and am coordinating with the concerned authorities to address this alarming pattern of delays and mismanagement by Air India Express. Passenger rights and safety must be treated with utmost seriousness.”

Dr. Hameed further emphasized: “This marks the third major disruption involving Air India Express flights within a month, raising serious questions about the airline’s operational reliability, aircraft maintenance practices, and overall crisis preparedness.”

He added: “If an aircraft continues to suffer ‘technical issues,’ it clearly indicates systemic negligence. Operating such flights puts the lives of passengers at unacceptable risk. It is deeply shocking and unacceptable.”

Frustrated passengers also pointed out that if this incident had involved other Gulf carriers, passengers would have been promptly provided with food, hotel accommodation, and alternative flight arrangements.

“This exposes a glaring gap in passenger care and service standards,” one stranded traveler noted.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage, with urgent calls for immediate investigation and action by India’s aviation authorities. 

Dr Hameed has appealed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu to take action against these recurring failures by Air India Express.

As of the latest update, passengers remain stranded at Dammam Airport, awaiting further instructions, with no clear communication regarding the revised flight schedule.

A controversy has erupted in Karnataka after two Brahmin students were allegedly asked to remove their sacred thread (Janivara) and religious wristbands before entering the Common Entrance Test (CET) examination halls. The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday in Shivamogga and Bidar districts, drawing sharp criticism from community groups and prompting a swift response from state ministers.

Videos and complaints shared by parents and community organizations brought the matter to public attention on Friday. Several Hindu groups condemned the action as insensitive and discriminatory.

Investigation

Reacting to the incident, Karnataka’s Higher Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar called the alleged directive “unacceptable” and assured a thorough inquiry. “It is an excessive act. If this happened at any examination center, we will take it seriously. We must respect the traditions of all castes and religions. I do not support such actions,” the minister told PTI.
He added, “I will seek a report from the concerned officials and consider appropriate steps. This is not about politics or gaining political mileage. We have no intention of hurting the sentiments of any community.”

Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, whose home district is Shivamogga, also addressed the issue. “There is no legal provision that permits such actions. Although this matter doesn’t fall directly under my ministry, I will coordinate with the concerned department. Since the incident happened in my home district, I will instruct officials to initiate appropriate action,” he said.

Hindutva Organizations Condemn

Community bodies such as the Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Maha Sabha and Vishwa Sanghatane strongly condemned the alleged directive, stating that enforcing such measures under the guise of examination protocols was a violation of religious rights.

Members of the Bhramina Sanghagala Okkuta submitted a formal complaint on Thursday to Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, according to a report.

Broader Context

The controversy comes amid ongoing debates over religious expression in Karnataka’s educational institutions. Notably, the previous BJP-led state government had banned students from wearing hijabs in classrooms—a move upheld by the Karnataka High Court and currently under review by the Supreme Court.

Bengaluru: Opposition BJP on Monday petitioned Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot seeking revocation of the suspension of 18 of its MLAs from the Legislative Assembly, calling it "undemocratic and unconstitutional".

They requested the Governor to direct Speaker U T Khader to reconsider the suspension of MLAs, and enable them to resume their responsibilities as representatives of the people.

In an unprecedented move, 18 BJP MLAs were suspended for six months from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on March 21, for showing "indiscipline" and "disrespecting" the Speaker, following which they were forcefully evicted from the House by the marshals as they refused to leave.

The BJP delegation led by state BJP president B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to him.

"....we most respectfully beseech your excellency to kindly exercise your good offices to direct the Speaker, Karnataka Legislative Assembly to reconsider the suspension order imposed upon the 18 Members of the Legislative Assembly belonging to the principal opposition party in the state," the memorandum said.

They also requested that "the suspension be revoked, thereby enabling the concerned legislators to resume their responsibilities as representatives of the people. And to take all necessary steps to uphold the basic tenet of democratic values in the State of Karnataka."

The incident leading to the suspension occurred on the last day of the Assembly's budget session. The BJP MLAs staged a massive protest against 4 per cent reservation to Muslims in public contracts and demanded a judicial probe into the alleged "honey-trap" attempt against Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna.

During the protest inside the Assembly, while some BJP legislators climbed onto the podium where the Speaker's Chair is situated, and surrounded it; a few others protesting from the well of the House, hurled papers at the Speaker. Marshals had to forcefully evict the BJP MLAs who had surrounded the Speaker's Chair.

Speaking to reporters after submitting the memorandum to the Governor, Ashoka said the Speaker and the Congress government's decision to suspend 18 MLAs is "undemocratic", and also "unconstitutional", as the functioning of a legislator is being hindered.

"Congress imposed an emergency on the country and tried to subvert democracy. Participating in the Assembly is our right. People have elected legislators to speak in the Assembly and to monitor functioning of the government through various legislature committees. It is our duty and it is being obstructed, so it is unconstitutional," he said.

Stating that he had already spoken to the Speaker and the chief minister in this regard, he said, "We met the Governor and brought things to his notice regarding what is there in the Constitution and various court orders. He (Governor) has said that he will write a letter to the government and speak to the concerned minister and Speaker. He has responded positively. He said the suspension should have been for the session and not for six months."

However, responding to allegations that his decision was illegal, Speaker Khader said everyone has the right to express their opinion in a democracy, and everything will happen in accordance with the Constitution and rules.

In the memorandum submitted to the Governor, the BJP said, in their role as members of the opposition, they had assembled near the Speaker's Chair as a form of protest. "It was wrongly perceived by the Speaker, so also the ruling party that, in doing such protests they deem that we exhibited behaviour inconsistent with the decorum of the House. Consequently, under Rule 348 of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 18 legislators were suspended for six months and were subjected to additional restrictions," it said.

The Karnataka Legislature is one of the highest embodiments of our democratic values, and truly a "temple of democracy". The dignity and sanctity of the Speaker's and Chairman's offices are fundamental to maintaining the credibility of the legislative institutions, the BJP said.

"We wholeheartedly affirm our adherence to these principles," the party said.

"The events of March 21 were neither premeditated nor intended to show any disrespect to the Chair. Over the past two years, we have observed the set of principles of the House with great appreciation, particularly given the increasing challenges to the standards of debate, language, and procedural adherence in legislative forums. We continue to hold the institution and its leadership in the highest regard," it added.

Pointing out that, in such circumstances, if the Speaker summoned the concerned legislators on that day to seek clarifications, they would have readily explained their actions and assured their respect to the Chair and the House. Unfortunately, no such opportunity was afforded before the issuance of a decision imposing substantial restrictions on 18 duly elected representatives, effectively preventing them from fulfilling their duties towards their constituencies, the BJP said.

The MLAs who were suspended are the BJP chief whip Doddanagouda Patil, former Deputy CM C N Ashwath Narayan, S R Vishwanath, B A Basavaraju, M R Patil, Channabasappa, B Suresh Gowda, Umanath Kotyan, Sharanu Salagar, Dr Shailendra Beldale, C K Ramamurthy, Yashpal Suvarna, B P Harish, Bharath Shetty, Dheeraj Muniraju, Chandru Lamani, Muniratna and Basavaraj Mattimud.