Opinion Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who assaulted AI staffer remains in denial, plays victim card again

While Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju stated against the demands of Gaikwad saying security and safety in aircraft will not be compromised, it is unfortunate that Shiv Sena has stood in support of an MP who blatantly claimed to have assaulted the Air India staffer.

Shiv Sena has unsurprisingly backed its MP while questioning the airlines for grounding him without an enquiry. Gaikwad, however, has come on record that he assaulted the staffer. Gaikwad remained unrepentant about the issue and grounding him was the least action that could’ve been taken against him by airlines.

When the incident took place, his narration of the incident was quite different than the one he gave in parliament. In his complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker, he said that the Air India staffer misbehaved with him and spoke to him rudely when he objected to the seat provided to him during the flight and refused to disembark. His earlier statements didn’t include any mention of the staff holding him by the collar and abusing him.

The 60-year-old duty manager who was assaulted had filed an FIR against Gaikwad in which he mentioned that the MP had abused him, beaten him and broken his spectacles and humiliated him in front of the staff. Aircraft crew had in reports claimed that he nearly threw him out while beating him and the flight crew had to save the staffer from Gaikwad.

Gaikwad has clearly resorted to playing the victim card when he was cornered. Shiv Sena has threatened to not allow flights to take off from Mumbai if their demand is not met. It would be expected that the government doesn’t budge to such demands. Such abuse of power needs to come to an end.