Ah, what a spectacle it was when a friendly Twitter duel sparked off between the former Union minister, P Chidambaram, and the current Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia. It was an exhilarating mix of wit, sarcasm, and, let's face it, a barrage of barbs over an issue that rarely makes the headlines - airport openings.

What exactly kicked this off? Well, our good friend Chidambaram, fondly known as PC by his fans, tweeted something that he thought would expose the present government's so-called "hollow" claim of opening 74 airports in the last seven years. Taking his cue from a media report, PC maintained that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government could take credit for opening merely 11 new airports since 2014, not 74. Quite a claim, right?

Using the platform of Twitter, PC took the opportunity to flex his mathematical muscles by explaining, "The 74 “airports” include nine helicopter stations and two waterdromes. The waterdromes closed down soon after the ‘inauguration’! Out of the 74 “airports”, 15 are no longer in use because there are no flights!" He further added that the BJP-NDA government launched 479 new “routes” but 225 are no longer in operation! Oh, Chidambaram, always the showman with numbers.

However, before you could say "runway", Scindia was quick to swoop in with his response. It's worth noting that Scindia has been doing an impressive job at the helm of the Civil Aviation Ministry, especially considering the challenging circumstances. He said, "PChidambaram_IN Ji, clearly, fact checking is not the current Congress’ strong suit. Desperation for survival and relevance has hit senior, discerning leaders such as yourself. Please do not perpetuate half-baked truths!” A light jab but necessary, I'd say, considering PC's hastily tweeted claims.

Following this, Scindia brought out the big guns. Like a professor correcting a student's flawed paper, Scindia laid out six clear points to counter PC's claims. You could almost see the twinkle in his eyes as he highlighted the strides made by the government under PM Modi's leadership in operationalizing 74 airports, some of which had been ignored for years under previous governments.

Scindia further pointed out how the Ministry of Civil Aviation has activated 12 airports in the country since 2015 under the Greenfield Airports Policy 2008. This compared to only 3 greenfield airports built in the last 65 years! This response served as a friendly reminder to PC to check his facts before taking to Twitter with half-baked claims.

The minister continued his comprehensive counter-argument, underscoring how operations on a route are dependent on market demand and how the UDAN scheme has revived and operationalised 74 airports, heliports and water aerodromes. More than 1.23 crore people and 2.23 lakh flights have taken advantage of this scheme, a number that would have remained at zero if the previous regime had continued to be at the helm.

Scindia's detailed clarification showed that this government has a serious commitment to enhancing infrastructure and accessibility, particularly in remote areas, something that was conspicuously missing under previous governments. The massive capital investment of almost Rs 75,000 crore in the last decade is linked to employment growth and has a far-reaching social impact.

To summarise, it was an epic tussle of claims and counterclaims that offered more twists and turns than a suspense thriller. On one side, there was Chidambaram with his 'knowledge', and on the other, Scindia with a bevy of facts and figures. The eventual outcome? A comprehensive victory for the truth and Scindia. As the saying goes, "In the age of information, ignorance is a choice". Let's hope PC chooses wisely next time.