DMK Member of Parliament Dayanidhi Maran on Tuesday penned his experience aboard an Indigo flight captained by senior BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

Maran was flying from Delhi to Chennai after attending a meeting of the parliamentary Estimates Committee.

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“I happened to sit in the first row, as the crew declared that the boarding had completed. “So you are traveling in this flight as well!” said a person dressed in the Captain’s uniform,” Maran wrote.

Though he could not at first recognise the speaker with his mask on, the voice sounded familiar.

“I nodded my head, still wondering who it could be. He looked at me and his eyes gave away the smile behind the mask. “So you don’t recognize me!” he exclaimed. I realized then that it was none other than my colleague, senior member of parliament and former Union Minister - my very good friend Thiru Rajiv Pratap Rudy!” he wrote.

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Maran further shared that two hours before the flight the two had been part of “intense discussions” at the Estimates Committee.

“And now I couldn’t believe my eyes, seeing his transformation from a politician to a pilot. I was pleasantly surprised and told Rudyji that I couldn’t believe that he was going to be the captain flying us from Delhi to Chennai,” the letter further read.

“He laughed and said “Yes, I noticed that you didn’t recognize me, I fly frequently!” I could only say that I was honoured to be flown by my good friend and colleague.”

Rudy had also served as a Minister of State when the DMK MP’s father, Murasoli Maran, was a Union Minister.

“A flight to remember indeed! How often does a sitting Member of Parliament captain a commercial flight? I’m sure I will be talking about this for a long time. Thank you Captain Rajiv Pratap Rudy, MP for flying us safely from Delhi to Chennai!” Maran concluded the letter.

Published on July 14, 2021