'Nice movie... now resign' Aviation minister slammed for social reel with music of Air India flight crash site visit

New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu is facing strong criticism on social media after posting a video reel of his inspection of the Air India Flight 171 crash site -- a clip that featured background music and was perceived by many as insensitive in the wake of the deadly tragedy.

Naidu, who visited the crash site in Ahmedabad alongside Union Home Minister Amit Shah, shared the video on his social media handle, captioning it: “Inspected the crash site along with Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji and briefed him on the details of the incident. Investigations are underway to determine the cause.”

However, it was not the content of the caption but the stylised reel -- set to background music -- that sparked outrage. The video, intended to document the minister's visit, drew sharp backlash from netizens who accused him of trivialising a national tragedy that claimed 241 lives.

Social media users flooded the comments with disapproval. One user wrote, “Why upload videos of these things? It’s a sensitive matter; kindly rethink, being a minister we expect more from you.” Another comment read, “Even in such a tragic accident they are posing and adding music for their reels.”

Several users also took aim at the perceived focus on public image over empathy. “New social media reels minister came with excellent PR,” one comment said sarcastically, while another user added, “Kya mast reel banayi hai… chalo now resign fatafat. We all understand Air India is a private airline but regulation of airlines and airways is the responsibility of the central government.”

The backlash comes amid national mourning and a high-level investigation into what is being described as one of India’s worst air disasters. Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on 12 June, killing 241 of the 242 people on board.

While the investigation, led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), is underway, the minister’s video post has prompted wider debate about the use of social media by public officials during times of national crisis -- particularly the appropriateness of format and tone.