Bhubaneswar: National award winner and well-known disability rights activist of Odisha Sruti Mohapatra faced ‘harassment’ by the staff of a private airline and CISF personnel on Wednesday.
In a tweet, Sruti said though she was a quadriplegic disabled woman, she was given an aisle seat in an IndiGo flight from Nagpur airport. When she objected to it and wanted her seat to be changed, an employee of the airline and the airport CISF staff ‘humiliated’ her.
Feeling harassed by such behaviour, Sruti called for reforms in CISF to ensure safety and dignity of disabled fliers like her.
In response to Sruti’s allegation, the airline tweeted that they had taken note of her concern and wanted to talk to her over phone. They sought her phone number and PNR to contact her.
Sruti is a leading personality in the fight for rights of disabled people not only in Odisha but also across the country. In recognition of her contribution to differently abled people, President had conferred ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’ on her in March this year.
It may be noted that Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had warned of appropriate action following a similar incident involving specially abled child in an IndiGo flight. The child was not allowed to board the flight at Ranchi airport on May 7.
Following public outrage on the issue, Scindia tweeted, “There is zero tolerance towards such behaviour. No human being should have to go through this! Investigating the matter by myself, post which appropriate action will be taken.”
Also Read: Special Child Not Allowed To Board IndiGo Flight: Scindia Says Zero Tolerance – odishabytes
