SRI VIJAYA PURAM | NOVEMBER 3, 2026 | DWEEP TULIKA | ANDAMAN NEWS
A delegation of Youth Congress workers from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands participated in the INDIA Bloc's 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' rally held at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 2, according to H. Yusuf, State General Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Youth Congress.
Speaking to Dweep Tulika over the telephone, Yusuf said that a team from the Islands had travelled to Delhi to participate in the national-level gathering. The Youth Congress delegation included H. Yusuf, Akhil and Sahid. Pradesh Congress Committee President Rangalal Halder was also present at the event, while Indian Youth Congress National Secretary Sindhuja attended the gathering.
The rally brought together political workers and supporters from several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. INDIA Bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, were also present.
Organised under the banner of 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao', the gathering saw opposition leaders raise concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The programme attracted a large gathering, with the scheduled proceedings affected by the crowd. According to the account provided, Rahul Gandhi reached the venue at approximately 2:30 PM, accompanied by Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, before addressing the gathering.
Videos circulating on social media also appeared to show Indian Youth Congress National Secretary Sindhuja with a bleeding injury on her face amid the crowd. The circumstances surrounding the incident have not been independently established by Dweep Tulika.
Andaman delegation alleges hardship following SpiceJet flight disruption
While the political gathering brought together party workers from across the country, the Andaman delegation's journey to Delhi reportedly involved considerable difficulty.
According to Yusuf, the delegation had booked tickets in advance with SpiceJet for October 30, 2026, on flight SG 254, scheduled to depart from Port Blair at 1:15 PM and travel to Delhi via Kolkata.
Yusuf alleged that passengers had reached the airport and completed the initial security formalities when they received an email from the airline informing them of a flight delay.
He further claimed that, when passengers approached airline staff for clarification, they were informed that there was a 99.9 per cent possibility of the flight being cancelled. When they enquired about alternative arrangements or substitute flights, they were reportedly advised to seek a refund instead.
Yusuf alleged that the airline did not provide accommodation or adequate alternative arrangements to affected passengers and instead referred them to its standard refund procedures.
He also raised concerns about other passengers who were reportedly affected by the disruption, including tourists and a young passenger whose father had passed away. According to Yusuf, the young passenger had booked his ticket approximately an hour before the scheduled journey.
Questioning the assistance extended to affected passengers, Yusuf said the disruption created difficulties for travellers with time-sensitive commitments in Delhi.
Additional travel expenses to attend the rally
With their original travel plan disrupted, Yusuf and other members of the delegation decided to make fresh travel arrangements to ensure their participation in the Ramlila Maidan gathering.
According to Yusuf, they subsequently booked tickets with Air India for October 31, reportedly paying approximately ₹15,000 per passenger.
He alleged that the additional expenditure and disruption placed an unexpected financial burden on delegation members who had already made advance travel arrangements.
The incident also draws attention to the travel challenges faced by passengers from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where limited flight connectivity and dependence on connecting services can make disruptions particularly difficult.
For island residents, a flight disruption may not be a matter of simply choosing another flight. Alternative connections can involve additional expenses, limited seat availability and changes to important travel commitments.
Dweep Tulika has sought to bring forward the passengers' account of the disruption and the difficulties they say they faced. The airline's response to the allegations, including clarification on the status of flight SG 254 and the assistance offered to affected passengers, is awaited.