The principal opposition party, the Congress, has launched a sharp critique of the central government amidst the ongoing operational turmoil at IndiGo, India's largest airline. The party has directly linked the current chaos to the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led administration.
A Scathing Political Attack
In a statement released on 06 December 2025, Congress spokespersons turned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's famous promise on its head. They asserted that what was pledged as 'ease of air travel' for the common citizen has, in reality, resulted in a 'cease of air travel' scenario for many stranded passengers. This wordplay underscores their core accusation of a systemic failure in the aviation sector under the current government's watch.
The Allegation of a Manufactured Duopoly
Moving beyond mere criticism of the immediate incident, the Congress party has made a more serious and structural allegation. The party claims that the widespread disruption and passenger distress witnessed at IndiGo is not an isolated accident but a direct consequence of the government's aviation policy. They accuse the BJP government of a 'relentless push to manufacture a duopoly in the sector'.
This suggests a deliberate narrowing of the market to be dominated by only two major players, which, according to the opposition, reduces competition, hurts consumer choice, and makes the system vulnerable to shocks when one player faces issues. The ongoing IndiGo crisis is presented as a symptom of this larger, policy-driven problem.
Context and Implications
The criticism comes at a time when the aviation industry is closely watched for its recovery and growth post-pandemic. The Congress's statement aims to frame the operational issues at a private airline as a governance and regulatory failure. By invoking the Prime Minister's own slogan, they seek to highlight a gap between political promises and ground reality for millions of air travelers.
This incident has quickly moved from being an aviation industry story to a hot-button political issue, with the opposition seeking to hold the government accountable for the health of the sector. The charge of fostering a duopoly is a significant one, as it questions the fundamental principles of fair market competition that the government is expected to uphold.
The government or the ruling BJP is yet to issue a detailed counter-response to these specific allegations as per the initial reports. However, this development ensures that the IndiGo crisis will remain in the headlines, debated not just on business pages but also on political platforms.
