Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Thursday wrote to Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapati Raju, expressing “regrets” at the incident on board an Air India flight on March 23. The MP has been accused of assaulting the airline’s officer with his slippers.
The MP’s letter, in the possession of The Hindu , states that he “regrets the incident,” but stops short of accepting guilt. Instead, he says investigations will reveal the truth. He requests Mr. Raju to lift the restrictions imposed on him by various airlines.
Sources in the Ministry of Aviation told The Hindu that while the letter was a welcome development, the Shiv Sena’s defiant press conference on Thursday afternoon threatening to boycott an NDA meeting on April 10 if the ban wasn’t lifted was a problem. “There is, however, a possibility that both Mr. Raju and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha would be holding a press meet on the issue,” said an official source.
House adjourned
The letter came at the end of a day of drama that included a statement by Mr. Gaikwad in the Lok Sabha and an adjournment of the House forced by Shiv Sena MPs who surrounded Mr. Raju when he made no move to lift the ban on the MP.
“I am vinamr [humble and courteous] by nature,” said Mr. Gaekwad. An official, when he asked for his identity, had told him that he was “Air India ka baap” [Air India’s father] and taunted him, asking “Are you Narendra Modi?” Mr. Gaikwad claimed he only pushed an official, and that too after he himself was pushed around.
Raju’s statement
Minister for Aviation, Ashok Gajapati Raju, then stood up to respond to the statement. He said there was now a case pertaining to the issue, which would take its own course. But if the member wanted to defuse the issue, there were ways to do it. He added that the MP was also just a passenger. “An aircraft is a machine to fly people. Safety is important. Safety cannot be compromised.”
This comment did not go down well with the Shiv Sena MPs and its lone Minister in the NDA government, Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete. They quickly surrounded Mr. Raju, not allowing him to leave the House. Home Minister Rajnath Singh was seen moving protectively towards Mr. Raju. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House and called all the parties concerned to her chambers. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandra Babu Naidu, through the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) legislative group, also condemned the attempt to intimidate the party’s MP and Minister.
Boycott threat
The Shiv Sena then held a press conference, threatening to boycott an NDA meeting on Monday. Party leader Sanjay Raut wondered if the chief managing director of Air India was qualified to ban an MP from flying. “Uski aukaad kya hai?” [what is his status?]. This further muddied the waters.
By evening the Sena MPs realised that they had managed to offend their NDA partner TDP, with whom they had had fairly cordial ties thus far. After a second meeting between Lok Sabha Speaker Ms. Mahajan and Mr. Raju late in the evening, the Sena despatched its letter of regret to the Telegu Desam Party’s parliamentary office and its legislative party leader and Minister of State for Science and Technology Y.S. Chowdhary.
