After Buddha’s sorry, his minister now backs strike

While the CM was apologetic and pleaded for mitigating the harassment of the passengers, Chakraborty, who has often come under the CM’s scanner, sung a different tune.

‘‘I support your movement. I am myself a trade union worker. Privatisation of the airports in the garb of modernisation will not be tolerated,’’ said Chakraborty, who visited the union leaders at about 11:30 this morning.

Even as Chakraborty was expressing his views, a delayed flight landed from Hyderabad. And the passengers seemed more angry than the minister or the striking workers. ‘‘Is this a civilised country? Should this torture on the common people be tolerated?’’ said Shomnath Mondal, one of the passengers.

Like the last two days, passengers had to lug their luggage from the runway to the terminal as there was nobody to man the conveyor belts.

However an even more acute problem was the overflowing toilets, which have not been cleaned for the last three days. ‘‘If this had been our country, at least an alternative would have been made to clean the toilets,’’ said one Nick, a visitor from the United States.

With no staff, the normal power line of the airport had to be shut down. The emergency line was used instead. Hence, a large section in and around the airport plunged into darkness.

All the while, the workers continued their loud protests, shouting slogans outside the airport entrance.