National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday praised his old friend Rahul Gandhi and said that the Congress leader was giving a direct fight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections.

Abdullah while speaking to the media said Rahul Gandhi is putting the most spirited fights in the Lok Sabha elections. The former chief minister praised Gandhi for taking the fight directly to the Prime Minister and said this is the reason why the Prime Minister is relentlessly attacking him individually.

The National Conference leader said the belief that the more people see Rahul Gandhi, the less they will like what they see and the more they will gravitate towards PM Modi is not true at all. He said the Congress leader has very cleverly done away with all the tags BJP has sought to put on him.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said this election for the people of Jammu and Kashmir is a first in many respects. It is the first election for them as a Union Territory. He further added that it is the first time an election is taking place for them after the momentous events of August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was removed. He said this is the first election an election is being fought in Jammu and Kashmir whose status has changed from that of a state to a union territory.

Abdullah questioned why have the people of Jammu and Kashmir been deprived of democracy? Abdullah asked what was their crime? He said the status and relationship of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the Union has been altered without any consultation with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He also asked why have the people of Jammu and Kashmir been deprived of an elected government since 2018?

Air India Express announced that over 70 flights had been canceled because of a lack of cabin crew members after some of them reported sick.

According to reports, an airline representative said, they have experienced delays and cancellations due to a section of their cabin crew reporting sick at the last minute, beginning last night.Their teams are actively resolving this issue to minimize any disturbance caused to our guests as they engage with the crew to determine the reasons behind these occurrences.

The statement continued, they truly apologize to our guests for this unplanned interruption and emphasize that this situation does not reflect the standard of service they strive to provide.

Cancellations will result in a full refund or a free reschedule to a different date for affected guests. Before leaving for the airport, guests who are flying with Air India Express today are asked to find out if their flight is affected.

This follows allegations made last month by a union representing a portion of the airline’s cabin crew that the company is being mismanaged and that employees are not being treated equally. The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) said that the employees’ morale has also been impacted by the mishandled affairs.

On social media, a few travelers expressed their displeasure at the unexpected flight cancellations. Air India Express responded to a passenger’s post on X (formerly Twitter) regarding a cancelled flight by stating that it was canceled due to operational reasons.

As part of our service recovery process, you can either opt to reschedule the flight within the next 7 days or request a full refund through our chat bot Tia…, the airline stated.

The Union Labour Ministry issued a show-cause notice to Air India Express, which is currently owned by the Tata Group, in December 2023 for suspected regulatory infractions relating to conflicts between the airline’s management and cabin staff workers.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP for allegedly creating a distressing atmosphere in the country and urged citizens to rally behind the Congress for a brighter future.

Gandhi posted a video message on X where she highlighted the widespread challenges the nation is facing and said, today in every corner of the country, youth are facing unemployment, women are facing atrocities, Dalits, tribals, backward classes and minorities are facing terrible discrimination.

The Congress leader added that the atmosphere is due to the intentions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused them of promoting hatred for political gain. Gandhi said that the Congress has always fought for the progress of all, justice for the deprived and to strengthen the country. She urged the voters to lend their support once again while highlighting the party’s manifesto, Nyay Patra, which pledges to uplift the impoverished, support farmers and labourers, empower youth and women and strengthen marginalised communities.

She said the Congress and INDIA alliance is dedicated to protecting the Constitution and democracy.  She appealed to the people of India to Vote for Congress for a bright future for all and so that together they can build a strong and united India. Her video message was shared on the social media handle of Congress on X at a time when voting for the 3rd phase of Lok Sabha elections is undergoing in 93 constituencies across 11 states and Uniion Territories.

The Congress party has asserted that this Lok Sabha election is for saving the Constitution and the rights of tribals, poor and backward. Earlier during the day, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he wanted to hand over Jal, Jungle, Jameen belonging to tribals to industrialists.