The missive was brief but effective and since it came from Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde's secretary, it sent the entire top brass of the police and administration here to the airport on Sunday, on the double.

Passengers for the Mumbai flight usually begin trickling into the airport at around 6.15 pm, after which they immediatly queue up for the passenger and security checks. However on Sunday, police first refused to begin the security check, without which the flight cannot take off. It finally began when the restive passengers began to complain. Perhaps Munde should have resorted to an excuse he had used in 1995 when he delayed a flight in much the same manner - a bomb hoax.

Either way, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sharad Pawar, and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President PratapraoBhosale had a close shave. The two leaders, who attended a private function here yesterday, were also scheduled to leave by the jinxed flight. Fortunately for them, they took a chartered flight out of the city.

But three ministers in the BJP-Shiv Sena government were not so lucky. Minister for Transport Diwakar Raote, Minister for Cooperation Jayprakash Mundada and Minister for Textiles Arjun Khotkar had to share the agony of their fellow passengers and sweat it out till Munde's arrival.

Police officials at the airport too had a rough time calming irate passengers. Just when things threatened to spin out of control, Munde turned up, at 9 pm, bringing to an end one of the most ridiculous security drills ever undertaken by the police.

Jet Airways officials, who say they have had enough of Munde's whims over the last three years, now plan to take up the matter with him personally, sources in the airline say.

Commissioner of Police, Shripad Kulkarni, told Express Newsline that the securityexcercise was held against the backdrop of intelligence reports that miscreants might try to stir up trouble on December 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.