Rijiju flight controversy: 'We should let the matter rest', says Singhvi

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Friday said the controversy over three passengers of an Air India flight being offloaded to accommodate Minister of State (MoS) for Home Kiren Rijiju must not be carried further as the latter has tendered an apology in this regard.

"It is appropriate and in the fitness of things that the MoS has thought it fit to do that. We should let the matter rest and close there because once the person has apologised we should not carry it further," Singhvi told ANI.

Rijiju, however, today denied charges of delaying a Delhi-Leh Air India flight last month and said it was 'false news'.

"That issue is over. That was false news as nobody was offloaded because of me," he told the media.

Rijiju, who had last week gone to Leh by a Border Security Force (BSF) helicopter to attend the Sindhu Darshan function, reportedly caused the delay of an Air India flight and made three passengers de-board the flight.

Rijiju was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and they were to fly to Delhi from Leh on June 24, when the reported incident took place.