Andhra Pradesh Speaker and former home minister, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao reportedly engaged in a spat with Air India crew over “alleged rude” behaviour of the crew. Kodela, who was travelling on an Air India flight from Hyderabad to Vijayawada on Friday evening, had a fall out with the crew on board when the crew apparently asked Rao’s acquaintance, another passenger in the flight, to return to his seat.

It all happened when cabin crew asked former IAS official K. Laxminarayana to returns to his place as he was sitting with Kodela in executive class although his ticket was not in executive class. Laxminarayana reportedly returned to his place without making any furore but Kodela said to have lost his cool. He allegedly pushed his food tray on the cabin crew and reportedly warned to “teach” them a “lesson”. With this, crew has filed a report and likely to take up the matter to higher authorities. 

However, Kodela tells a different story, “Although I was travelling in business class, I sat in economy class after seeing former IAS Laxminarayana travelling in it. Laxminarayana had worked with Chandrababu Naidu when he was the CM of undivided state. In between, air crew has requested us to sit in business class and we reluctantly we both went and sat in business class. But when they were serving snacks, they discourteously asked Laxminarayana to go and sit in economy class. Hurt by their behaviour, Laxminarayana did heed to them.”

“Only due to their impolite behvaiour I got irritated. How can they invite us and later insult us? I’m going to take up the matter with Union Aviation Minister Mr Gajapathi Raju. Soon after getting down at Vijayawada, I’ve contacted his peshi and told the incident. Later I got a call from one Hari Preeth who has apologised for the inconvenience. But I’m not going to leave this here. I’ve already lodged a complaint and demand an action against those irresponsible.”