New Delhi: Budget carrier GoAir Tuesday withdrew its controversial boarding passes that carried photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
GoAir and Air India were caught in a controversy this week as many passengers pointed out that their boarding passes featured photos of the two leaders.
The passes, issued days before the Lok Sabha election begins, were seen as a violation of the model code of conduct, which came into force earlier this month. The code, which seeks to ensure ethical campaigns, bars government advertisements after election dates are announced.
In a statement issued Tuesday, a GoAir spokesperson said the airline had “inadvertently” used paper from an older stock. “Taking cue from the election code of conduct, we have instructed our airport teams to stop utilising this type of paper with immediate effect,” the spokesperson added.
Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah was among the passengers who had flagged the passes on social media.
“I was on a GorAir flight yesterday and also had a boarding pass with PM’s photo on it,” he had tweeted.
“GoAir’s Srinagar airport team inadvertently utilised unused stock of Vibrant Gujarat related paper which took place in January 18-20, 2019, for issuing boarding passes at the said airport,” the GoAir statement said. “It was unintentional.”
The Vibrant Gujarat summit is organised by the Gujarat government.
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A day earlier, flag carrier Air India had withdrawn the boarding passes as well after a former Punjab director general of police’s tweet about them went viral.
“At New Delhi airport today March 25th, 2019,” former Punjab DGP Shashi Kant tweeted Monday, with a photograph of a boarding pass issued at the New Delhi airport. “My Air India Boarding Pass, prominently flashes Narendra Modi, ‘Vibrant Gujrat’ & Vijay Rupani. Picture of boarding pass is below,” he added.
“Wonder why we are wasting public money on this election commission, which doesnt see, hear or speak,” he added.
Last week, the Indian Railways was forced to withdraw tickets carrying photos of the Prime Minister after the Trinamool Congress flagged them before the Election Commission.
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