creating a ruckus in Latur

allegedly beating up an Air India staffer

airlines imposing a flying ban

Now, Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad engages in 'verbal spat' with cops

AURANGABAD: Shiv Sena MP from Osmanabad Ravindra Gaikwad is back in the news, this time forafter he failed to get money from an ATM near the bus stand on Tuesday.Gaikwad had hit national headlines foron a flight on March 23, which resulted inon him for some time.The MP was in Latur to campaign for Sena candidates contesting the local municipal corporation polls, voting for which was held on April 19.Gaikwad was reportedly questioning the chief manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) about the empty ATM which prompted the police to step in and reason with him. However, he allegedly behaved rudely with the police officials, staged an agitation and shouted slogans. He and his supporters were subsequently booked for unlawful assembly, misbehaviour and causing disorder at a public place, the police said.Gaikwad did not respond to phone calls and text messages sent to him seeking his version of the story. DV Joshi, his personal assistant at his hometown, Omerga, said he had left for Delhi via Hyderabad.Inspector Gajanan Bhatlavande of the Gandhi Chowk police station, Latur, told TOI that following reports of tension in the bus stand area, a police team rushed to the spot. He said the MP was shouting at a bank official for keeping the ATM empty. “When we tried to pacify him, he shouted at the policemen using objectionable language. His supporters kept raising slogans and obstructing traffic,” he said.An FIR was registered against Gaikwad and others for unlawful assembly and other sections of the Mumbai Police Act. “We will investigate and take appropriate action. We are currently busy with the municipal election process,” Bhatlavande said.SBI Chief manager GS Waghmare told TOI that he went to the ATM after he learnt of the agitation there. “Gaikwad questioned me about how things were being managed. I told him since we receive a specific amount of cash from the RBI, we distribute it evenly and manage it accordingly and assured him that we will put cash in the ATM as soon as we get it,” he said.Joshi, however, defended the MP. “Gaikwad had initially sent one of his supporters to withdraw money but he returned empty-handed after visiting a number of ATMs. The MP summoned the bank officials to ask what people were to do in case of an emergency when the ATMs run out of cash.” “It was the police officials who spoke rudely to him.