As Shiv Sena sought Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's intervention in revoking a travel ban for Ravindra Gaikwad after the Air India incident, the government said it couldn't do much on this issue. However, MPs from various political parties flocked together with Shiv Sena on the issue and described the ban on MP an arbitrary move.

Days after a travel ban was imposed on Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikward, the party approached Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, but wasn't offered any solution. Mahajan told the party that she cannot force the government to take any action.

PARTY WANTS BAN ON GAIKWAD TO BE LIFTED

Shiv Sena member Anandrao Vithoba Adsul in the Lok Sabha said, "There was some dispute, he had beaten an Air India staffer. I agree it is wrong. Air India has filed a police complaint and we will accept whatever they decide, that is not a problem." He said that the problem is that the other airlines have also banned him from travelling Adsul comedian Kapil Sharma's example, who he alleged misbehaved with an airline staffer on a flight to Australia recently, saying that only an enquiry was ordered in his case.

On the other hand, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who was also present in the house said that such a behaviour is not expected from any MP. He added that airlines have the authority to deny boarding to any passenger whose demeanor is not proper.

"Violence of any kind is considered improper in civil aviation, so the DGCA has empowered the airlines to deny boarding to any passenger be it an MP or not," he said. "Now that the Honourable MP has raised it, we can't have unequal treatment of people of different classes. But we would need to interact with people, make them aware, keeping safety in mind. We can't compromise safety in airlines," Raju said.

OPPOSITION SUPPORTS MP GAIKWAD

The matter was also raised in the Rajya Sabha, where Congress and other party members came in support of Gaikwad, Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal described Air India's order as a form of dadagiri.

Later a delegation of Sena MPs also met Sumitra Mahajan in her office and showed her the video in which the airline staffer was allegedly assaulted by Gaikwad. They claimed that because of this ban Gaikwad could not attend Parliament proceedings and hence it was violation of his privileges.

Mahajan has not accepted the privilege motion initiated by Shiv Sena, saying that a solution to the problem should be found through interaction with government.

THE INSTANCE

Ravindra Gaikwad, Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad in Maharashtra, on Thursday allegedly abused and assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager of Air India, because he had to travel economy class despite having an open business class ticket. The flight was an all-economy flight.

He was then banned by Air India from flying, following which other private airlines also refused to fly him. Delhi Police has also started investigating the matter on the complaint filed by Air India staffer.

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