Ravindra Gaikwad assaults Air India staffer: Shiv Sena says will 'raise hand' where needed, targets airline

Mumbai: In a shocking statement, Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Friday evening said party leaders would "raise their hand" wherever needed.

Raut's statement came as Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikward had to travel by train on Friday after domestic airlines unitedly "banned" him from flying on their aircraft for assaulting an Air India officer.

Raut, however, tried hard not to court controversy and added that Shiv Sena does not support Gaikwad's behaviour.

When asked about the party's stand on Gaikwad hitting an Air India employee with a slipper on Thursday, Raut told a press conference: “The Shiv Sena can never support Ravindra Gaikwad's behaviour. But there should be an inquiry to find out why our MP was forced to behave this way.”

“Hitting anybody can never be the culture of the Sena, but we will surely raise our hand wherever required," Raut added.

Hitting out at Air India for blacklisting “unruly” Gaikwad, Raut said the AI "needs to introspect" and should mull "what would happen if the public decides to blacklist the airline".

It is not about a single MP but thousands of passengers who have to face numerous troubles due to Air India's poor service, he said.

"It would have been better had Air India been as quick in improving its service as it was in banning our MP from flying on its aircraft. Passengers are fleeced at airports like Mumbai and Delhi. What happens to their (AI's) quick decision-making then?" he asked.

Before the party takes any action against Gaikwad, the MP will have to face action as per the law, Raut said.

After being barred by airlines for assaulting an Air India employee, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad had to take a train to Mumbai on Friday where he has been summoned by his part chief Uddhav Thackeray.

The grounded Member of Parliament boarded the first class coach of August Kranti Express from Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station to Mumbai Central at around 5 pm on Friday, a railway official said.

Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad in Maharashtra, Gaikwad assaulted Air India officer R Sukumar on board an aircraft on Thursday.

Also Read: Apologise or else will file defamation case: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad to Air India officials

In an unprecedented step, Air India and all private carriers refused to fly Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad over his misconduct with the officer of the national flag carrier.

But the Sena MP remained defiant and refused to apologise for repeatedly beating and trying to push down Sukumar from the aircraft. He also dared the Delhi Police to arrest him and alleged that it was Sukumar who hit him first.

"Air India and member airlines have decided to ban this MP from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) said in a statement yesterday.

"We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," said FIA associate director Ujjwal Dey.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association sought an unconditional apology from Gaikwad and threatened to direct its members "not to operate any flight which has Gaikwad on board".

The Sena leader earlier vowed to fly back to Pune, but Air India cancelled his ticket.

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Besides Air India, the airlines which won't allow Gaikwad to fly as FIA members are IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air. AirAsia and Vistara, which are not with FIA, have also joined them.

Gaikwad on Thursday beat Sukumar repeatedly with a slipper after he was forced to travel in Economy Class from Pune to Delhi despite holding a Business Class ticket.

(With Agency inputs)