What assault, says sena as ravindra gaikwad arrives in parliament

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Apr 06, 2017:  Ravindra Gaikwad, the Shiv Sena politician banned from flying after he assaulted an Air India manager over business class seats, surfaced in parliament today for the first time in nearly two weeks. After Sena’s loud protests in the Lok Sabha,  Mr Gaikwad has been allowed to present his version.

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Sena has alleged a breach of the MP’s privilege, as he has been barred not just by the national carrier but even private airlines. The party has decided in meetings that it will "not sit quietly" if the government does not act against the airlines and have the ban revoked.

"Who said he assaulted an Air India staffer?" questioned Sena leader Sanjay Raut before heading into parliament.

Asked why the MP had been asked not to make any public statements, he replied, "We don’t hide or run away. Did he say he’s running helter-skelter? He’s a member of the Parliament. He has arrived at the Parliament and will present his case."

Last month, Mr Gaikwad, the Sena’s MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra, flew on Air India from Pune to Delhi, then refused to leave the plane for an hour while he demanded an explanation for not being given a business class seat.

The airline’s explanation that his flight was all-economy didn’t convince him. When a 60-year-old manager arrived to persuade him to leave the plane, the MP assaulted him. He later bragged to the media about "hitting him 25 times with a slipper", which led to several airlines refusing to fly him.

The manager in a written complaint accused the politician of not just assaulting him but also trying to push him off the steps used to help passengers leave the plane.

Over the past few days, the parliamentarian has repeatedly tried to book himself on flights but failed every time, which left him with options like taking the train or driving to Delhi by road.

Courtesy: NDTV