Uncertainty over whether Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad would be allowed to fly soon continued even as Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked the government to reach an “amicable solution” on the issue on Monday. The NDA government is now working on making the rules to ban unruly passengers more transparent.
Domestic airlines had come together last week to impose a ban on Mr. Gaikwad after he assaulted a 60-year-old Air India duty manager and refused to de-board the Pune-Delhi flight in the national capital.
Shiv Sena MPs created an uproar in the Lok Sabha on Monday, and demanded the lifting of the airlines’ ban on Mr. Gaikwad, claiming it was unconstitutional.
However, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju remained non-committal and said violence of any kind on an aircraft could prove disastrous. A senior Civil Aviation Ministry official said the government had no role in imposing the ban and the airlines need to take a call on revoking it even as it found certain grey areas in the present rules to ban flyers.
Minister condemns
Condemning Mr. Gaikwad’s behaviour, Mr. Raju said “I never in my wildest dreams thought that an MP will get caught in such an incident.” Stressing that there won’t be an unequal approach, he added, “An MP is also a passenger...We have to keep safety issues in mind.”
Ms. Mahajan later called a meeting of Shiv Sena MPs with Mr. Raju and urged a solution as she said a blanket ban on MPs was not feasible as they had to attend Parliament sessions. “MPs need to attend Parliament and they cannot travel by train always. At times, they need to travel by plane also. I feel that this issue (blanket ban) should be resolved amicably through talks,” she said after the meeting.
Following this, Mr. Raju held a meeting with Minister of State Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, civil aviation secretary R.N. Choubey and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief B.S. Bhullar. discuss the matter in his office at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan.
Clarification on ban
The Centre will soon issue clarifications to the rules related to banning unruly passengers from boarding plane and is contemplating several options, including a national ‘no fly’ list, Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey said after the meeting.
