Photo Credit: Indiatimes

Mumbai: On March 23, 2017 Ravindra Gaikwad slapped someone — a 60-year-old duty manager on the Pune-Delhi Air India flight, 25 times with his sandal — and went on about his business like nothing happened.

He didn't care. He even dared the police to arrest him. His qualification: he is a Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP. Welcome to the India of endemic VVIP culture.

"I slapped him...should I hear abuses from everyone. I am from Shiv Sena not BJP. Let him complain to anyone,” the Member of Parliament declared in a tone that hurts you – the common citizen - right in the stomach. His penchant for such inexplicable comments has been constant, taking into account his past encounters.

Before this particular incident, Gaikwad was embroiled in a controversy for allegedly forcing a Muslim caterer to eat Roti (flat bread) on Ramadan, as the food served was not up to his expectation. And just a few days before the Air India scuffle, the goon MP was seen threatening police personnel openly.

By now, it makes you wonder: how on earth is this guy still breathing free? Why isn’t he running scared? Why isn’t he behind the bars? Most importantly, how is he still an MP?

The craziest part is that… you actually know the answer. And it is scary. It is scary to an extent that it makes you question your life choices. You know that the system is rigged, but it still has to have some norms in place. Here there is none, just because Ravindra Gaikwad has the glittery VVIP tag.

Most politicians – if not all – will at least tend to conceal their scandals, but Gaikwad didn't, he proudly bragged about it. So far, the only action against the brazen MP was taken by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) and a few private airlines, which blacklisted him and included him in their respective ‘no-fly’ lists. However, the law is yet to catch up with him.

Delhi Police on March 24 registered an FIR on a complaint by Air India, apart from the initial complaint filed by Sukumar Raman - the AI staffer who faced the unruly MP’s onslaught.

Gaikwad filed a counter-complaint alleging he was harassed by the airline staff and has also threatened to sue both the national carrier and Indigo for cancelling his flight tickets from Delhi to Pune.

"I will not apologise...he (AI staff) should come and apologise... then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave," Gaikwad observed.

Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that action would be taken and that lawmakers are not above the law. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also assured that the incident inside flight AI 852 is ‘definitely under review’. But what is there to review? You have everything from the horse’s mouth.

Gaikwad’s violent and bizarre behaviour has been chronicled on tape, and in full view of other regulars on that flight. And if that is not enough, the foul-mouthed MP went on to boast about his paltry ordeal in many TV interviews.

“I wanted a business class seat which he couldn’t arrange for me,” he said. (Story: The Sena MP had a business class ticket but due to some last-minute fluctuations, the airline had to operate an all economy aircraft on the route. The business class passengers were informed and given an option for refund, but Mr. Gaikwad was not impressed.)

Whatever happened after that was not only unpleasant and shocking, but simply outrageous.

Following the appalling incident, there was a unified backlash against the brash politician on social media – but does social commentary really matter? It is like asking Rahul Gandhi to make sense - He is well aware of the problem but has no idea how to fix it. It’s a curse.

But what’s stopping the government from taking action in this case? Despite the centre’s repute for being active on social media, neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor his cabinet of ministers have condemned the shameless act by this Sena MP that left a 60-year-old government employee – who was just doing his job - scarred for life.

“He started beating me and took out his slippers and started hitting me. He also tried to throw me out (of the aircraft) from the step ladder but the staff prevented him from doing so. Broke my specs and tore button of the cardigan, and humiliated me in front of staff. God save our country if this is the culture and behaviour of our MPs," Sukumar Raman said in his written complaint. Indeed, God save our country!

Read: He misbehaved with me, he even broke my glasses, recounts Air India staffer

While it is unjust to blame the government for every trivial issue in the country, it is equally ignorant to look past the goonda raj and say, ‘chalta hai’.

Such horrendous instances have become commonplace in today's shape-shifting political arena. A clear message must go out that no one is above the law, and that too in in such a short span of time.

But as the situation stands today, nothing has changed. Rather it has deteriorated; the brazen MP’s supporters have asked Air India to apologise, and have even called a strike in Umarga town, Osamabad – Gaikwad’s constituency.

Most of the shops in the town have also pulled down the shutters in protest. Seems shocking, right?

Well, if this is how things will take course in future, it won’t be wrong to say that India’s constitutional promise of being a ‘Sovereign, Democratic nation with equal rights for all’ is just a farce.

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