New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was on Friday barred from flying by Air India and 5 private airlines, a day after he repeatedly hit a 60-year-old staffer of the state carrier at Delhi Airport.
The Delhi police lodged an FIR against him on the basis of a complaint lodged by Air India, and transferred the case to its crime branch. “I dare the Delhi police to arrest me... I will not apologise,” the MP said. The national carrier had also lodged another complaint against him for holding up the aircraft.
Leaders cutting across party lines condemned the incident and sought action. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot take suo moto action and that she would take a call only if the case was brought to her notice in the House.
Sources said the Federation of India Airlines (FIA) has taken a “strong view” of the incident and accordingly decided to bar the MP from flying on their network.
Naresh Goyal-owned Jet Airways and three budget carriers — IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir — are FIA members.
Two non-FIA member airlines — AirAsia India and Vistara — also came out in support of the ban, which left Mr Gaikwad “grounded” in the national capital.
The MP from Maharashtra’s Osmanabad had assaulted R. Sukumar over being unable to travel business class on an all-economy flight, and also bragged about the assault.
Air India — and later Indigo — cancelled the MP’s return tickets to Pune from here, forcing him to take a train.
However, Mr Gaikwad remained defiant, saying he would not apologise to the Air India staffer and accused him of misbehaviour.
Mr Gaikwad said he had no regrets. “He (R. Sukumar) should come and apologise... Then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave,” he said.
He said he would file a defamation case against the Air India CMD and its staffer if they “did not apologise”.
Mr Gaikwad said he has also filed a police complaint about the alleged misbehavior, and written to the civil aviation ministry on the issue.
The Air India staffer, who was hit “25 times” with slippers, said his attacker must be punished so that no one takes it as his “birthright” to assault a person.
