Mamata wants Congress to be part of Bengal government

In an exclusive simulation inside a Boeing 737 cockpit, India Today demonstrates the sequence of events that unfolded during the mid-air altercation aboard Flydubai flight 1073. Seated in the first officer's position alongside a flight instructor, the reporter retraces how an unauthorized attempt by the co-pilot to take control of the aircraft and alter altitude settings provoked resistance from Captain Smit Machchhar. The demonstration details how the aircraft transmitted distress transponder code 7700 at 05:21 GMT before squawking code 7500, signalling unlawful interference and hijacking, seven minutes later as the plane plunged 14,000 feet near Jordanian airspace. The walkthrough highlights the location and potential unauthorized use of the cockpit crash axe, how the emergency locator transmitter functions, and how an injured Captain Smit managed to unlock the reinforced flight deck door, allowing intervening passengers and an off-duty pilot to secure controls and divert safely to Tabuk Airport.

On board FlyDubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Captain Smit Makkar thwarted a suspected mid-air terror plot when his Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked him with a sharp object at 35,000 feet. Despite suffering multiple stab wounds, the Indian captain opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to intervene as the aircraft plummeted rapidly. Israeli officials and Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Captain Smit for saving 174 lives and averting a 9/11-like catastrophe. Captain Smit received initial treatment in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, before being moved to Abu Dhabi in stable condition. Global aviation experts, including Captain Sam Thomas of the Airlines Pilots Association of India, security analyst Saul Satka, and SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh, weighed in on the unprecedented cockpit breach. The discussions focused on insider aviation threats, pilot psychological screening, cockpit security locks, and an ongoing multi-nation investigation involving the UAE and Israel.

A debate on India Today examined the planned protests by the Cockroach Janata Party and opposition parties demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. Bharatiya Janata Party National Spokesperson Sanju Varma defended the Election Commission, pointing to historical precedents. Congress National Spokesperson Dr Pooja Tripathi argued that the Chief Election Commissioner and other leaders must face accountability following investigative media reports on voter list concerns and cited alleged violations of election laws. Cockroach Janata Party spokesperson Siddhant Bhardwaj declared that the group would proceed with its demonstration at Shivaji Park in Mumbai regardless of whether official permission is granted. Asserting constitutional rights under Article 19(1)(a), Bhardwaj warned that the youth movement would launch a 'jail bharo andolan' if participants face police detention across Mumbai and Pune. The panel debated whether the INDIA alliance and civic groups remain united or fragmented in their street-level agitation.

In an interview, Karnataka Cabinet Minister Rizwan Arshad addressed allegations regarding the misuse of bulk Form 7 applications to delete voters from electoral rolls. He accused the opposition BJP of obtaining voter data to target minorities, Dalits, and backward classes, asserting, "This is a very clear-cut case of racially profiling voters and submitting bulk form sevens to disenfranchise a particular section of voters." Arshad defended the dharna staged outside the Chief Electoral Officer's office under D.K. Shivakumar's leadership, clarifying that the demonstration concluded once the commission agreed to instruct electoral officials to register police complaints over fraudulent deletion requests.