On Friday, IndiGo cancelled nearly 1,000 flights, causing huge disruption and leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi blamed this chaos on the Centre’s “monopoly model.” He said ordinary Indians are paying the price in delays and cancellations. Mr. Gandhi wrote on social media, “IndiGo fiasco is the cost of this government’s monopoly model.” He added, “India deserves fair competition in every sector, not match-fixing monopolies.” Mr. Gandhi also shared an opinion piece he wrote last year about how new monopolists have replaced the old East India Company’s fear, calling for a “new deal for progressive Indian business.” Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal blamed the government for “sleeping at the wheel.” He accused the Modi government of turning the aviation sector into a “virtual duopoly” and prioritizing corporate greed over passengers’ interests. He highlighted how many passengers waited over 8 hours only to be told their flights were cancelled. He questioned the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s refund mechanism for passengers. Venugopal pointed to the collapse of Jet Airways and Go First, plus Air India’s monopoly merger, as government decisions that harmed competition. He said this has made flights unaffordable for many and created zero accountability. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the airport chaos shows the danger of concentration of market power. He mocked the past promise that “people wearing slippers would fly,” saying now passengers and staff are exchanging shoes and slippers. “Two people run the party, two run the government, two run businesses – this is the result,” he said. During Lok Sabha’s Zero Hour, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal urged quick action to restore normal flight services. He said flight cancellations disrupted MPs’ weekend travel plans, citing his own cancelled flights to Bengaluru. The crisis underlines the pressure on India’s aviation sector and raises questions on government policies and airline operations.