&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Be a Machchar, not a cockroach': BJP youth wing erects billboard in Pune 'honouring' flydubai pilot Smit Machchar")
A billboard in Pune, Maharashtra, honouring hero pilot Smit Machchar for preventing a fatal Flydubai crash, has sparked debate over its slogan: "Be a Machchar, not a cockroach." The phrasing is seen as a veiled attack by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha on the Cockroach Janta Party and participants in recent nationwide student protests. The poster celebrates Captain Machchar's bravery, which gained worldwide attention when he managed to alert passengers and keep control of the aircraft despite suffering severe stab wounds inflicted by co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami.
The slogan has divided opinion. Supporters of the tribute may view it as a straightforward call to emulate courage and responsibility. Critics, however, argue that using a story of heroism to take a swipe at political opponents and student demonstrators politicises an episode that should be about gratitude to a pilot who saved lives. They say the wording demeans young people who took part in the protests.
Also read: What we know about the mystery men who stepped in to save the flyDubai plane from crashing?
The controversy shows how quickly an act of heroism can be drawn into India's charged political landscape. Student protests across the country have become a flashpoint, and the use of the word "cockroach" in a public advertisement has given the debate a new and visible stage on the streets of Pune.
It was not immediately clear whether the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha had issued any statement defending or clarifying the slogan. There was also no indication of whether the billboard would be modified or taken down, or whether the Cockroach Janta Party had formally responded.
What happened in Israel bound flydubai flight?
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On Wednesday, September 30, Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was nearly brought down mid-air. Officials say the co-pilot, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar. The jet then plunged nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. Despite his injuries, Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, letting passengers and crew overpower the attacker. Two other Flydubai pilots on board helped land the plane at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Machchhar is stable in the hospital. Flydubai has cautioned against "premature speculation", and the UAE has ordered an investigation.
