Air India Crash: Civil Aviation Minister Makes Reels, But Doesn’t Take Questions

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu held a press conference on June 14 (Saturday), elaborating on the investigation into the Air India Flight AI-171 crash.

Ram Mohan Naidu expressed grief over the tragedy and provided detailed information about the investigation process, along with plans to strengthen Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to better prevent and handle such incidents in the future.

However, the Minister faced criticism for not taking any questions from the press after sharing a substantial amount of information. "What was the point of the press conference?" observers questioned.

He also came under heavy fire after posting a video from the accident site on social media. What drew ire from political circles was the use of effects and background music, which many felt dramatized the tragedy.

Netizens criticized the Minister, calling it a "PR stunt."

Sharing a post on X, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) slammed the TDP leader for what they described as insensitive behavior in the face of a national tragedy.

The party wrote: “At a time when the nation mourns the tragic loss of lives in the Ahmedabad plane crash, the Union Civil Aviation Minister @RamMNK's decision to make and circulate a reel with background music and cinematic editing from the disaster site is both deeply inappropriate and shockingly tone-deaf.”

The YSRCP accused him of trivializing the grief of the victims’ families and turning a site of national mourning into a social media spectacle.

“It is unfortunate that the Minister seems to be following in the footsteps of @ncbn, prioritizing publicity stunts over genuine governance,” the party stated.

Reminding the Minister that he was not on a campaign trail, the YSRCP added: “Disaster response requires compassion, seriousness, and respect for the affected—not manufactured PR moments. This is not a campaign trail. This is a human tragedy.”

Condemning the "act of insensitivity," the party demanded that the Minister issue a public apology.

“Leadership is not about optics. It is about empathy, responsibility, and the ability to act with dignity during times of grief,” the statement concluded.

As the criticism grew, the Minister deleted the post.