'Ah, so you finally noticed the crane...': Shashi Tharoor ups fog fight with Scindia

Shashi Throor took on Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia again on Thursday, pointing to aviation ministry's delay in removing a crane that reportedly posed as a risk to low-flying aircraft, especially during low visibility conditions in Delhi. 

"Ah, your Ministry finally noticed the crane's impact on the runway. Why did your Govt wait almost 2 weeks to take a decision on the crane that was obstructing the runway? The crane’s violation of SOPs was flagged on 5th January, but no action was taken or announced until you tweeted this decision on 17th January," Tharoor said in a jibe on Scindia. 

Scindia had hit out at Tharoor who shared a series of news reports of flight delays and mishaps at airports across the country, calling him an arm-chair critic. The Aviation Minister said sharing articles does not count as 'research' and that Congress lacks the depth to tackle such technical sectors.

Scindia said the crane was being used for construction along the Dwarka Expressway. "However, in view of its impact on the runway, it has now been decided that the crane operation shall be allowed only on non-fog days. Thus, runway 11R/29L is operational as CAT III as of Tuesday (Jan 16).” 

Tharoor called the chaos at Delhi airport a "Modi govt-made disaster, a result of the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s neglect and incompetence.” 

“In all its wisdom, the Modi government began maintenance work on one of the two CAT III-B runways in September last year, fully aware that it would not be ready for the winter! Even worse, a crane from some other construction work was blocking the operation of CAT III-B on one runway, even after repairs were complete. Delhi Airport flagged this over 10 days ago, on January 5, but no action was taken,” Tharoor said.