Parliament panel raps Jet officials for 'rude' behaviour towards MP

A parliamentary panel today rapped some officials of private carrier Jet Airways for their "rude and curt" behaviour towards an MP and said such "arrogance" by any organisation or individual was "unacceptable".

BSP MP Ashok Kumar Rawat had complained that he was discriminated against "on caste basis" and not extended the desired facilities and courtesies by the airline when he travelled from Bengaluru to Delhi on May 11, 2012.

In its report tabled in Parliament, the panel felt that "such display of arrogance does not brood well for any organisation. Such anger, arrogance on part of any organisation or individual towards a Member of Parliament is unacceptable."

The Committee on Violation of Protocol Norms and Contemptuous Behaviour with Members of Lok Sabha held "these officials guilty of rude and curt behaviour with Ashok Kumar Rawat, MP".

However, the panel, headed by Congress member M Krishnasswamy, also said that the denial of the desired assistance to Rawat was "not on account" of his belonging to the Scheduled Caste community "but because of his incomplete booking record and the negligent attitude of Jet Airways staff at Bangalore airport who attended to him".

When the member tried to convey his grievances on reaching Delhi, "instead of expressing regrets", the Duty Manager and VIP Relations Officer of the airline here were "not forthcoming, discourteous and simply passed on the complaint book saying the member may write whatever he felt like and it would conveyed to the higher ups", it said.

While holding these officials "guilty of rude and curt behaviour" with Rawat, the panel said these two officials were "found lacking in their interaction with the member and the manner of their approach and their behaviour left him further dissatisfied and hurt".

Their "immature handling" further compounded that situation to the detriment of the MP, it said.

"The ground staff which acts as the front office of the Jet Airways also acts as the ambassador of their airlines," the committee observed.

It also noted that Jet had sincerely apologised for the "lapse of their ground staff at Bangalore" and that they were no longer in the service of the airline.