Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has weighed in on Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s criticism of Air India after he was allotted a defective seat on a flight from Bhopal to Delhi.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Chandrasekhar remarked, “If it was anyone else other than the polite, gentleman minister @ChouhanShivraj ji, person would have created a justified angry response to this kind of incident🙏🏻.”
He further highlighted concerns about Air India’s service quality under Tata Group, stating, “Tatas’ takeover of @airindia has created a situation of reducing competition and consumer choice in full-service airlines — which leads to complacency and chalta hai! Suggest @TataCompanies address this warpspeed — else regulator/Govt will need to start looking at consumer interest as a regulatory outcome in addition to safety.”
Chouhan had earlier taken to X to share his frustration, calling his seat “sunken and uncomfortable” and questioning why passengers were being sold tickets for defective seats.
“I had booked a ticket on Air India flight AI436 and was allotted seat number 8C. When I sat, I sank into it — it was uncomfortable,” he wrote, adding that fellow passengers offered him a better seat, but he chose to remain in his assigned seat to avoid inconveniencing others.
According to Chouhan, airline staff admitted that the management was aware of the faulty seat but still sold tickets for it. “Not just one, but many such seats exist,” he alleged, pressing Air India to clarify whether they intended to fix these issues or continue “taking advantage of passengers’ compulsion to reach their destination.”
His remarks also took a swipe at Air India’s transition under Tata Group, expressing disappointment with its post-merger service. “I thought Air India’s service would improve after Tata took over, but it seems I was mistaken,” he noted.
Chouhan’s complaint has reignited concerns over Air India’s service quality, with users on social media echoing similar frustrations. While some criticized the airline industry’s treatment of passengers, others pointed out that Air India was handed over to Tata in a degraded state, arguing that expectations for immediate luxury were unrealistic.