AIR INDIA TO STEP UP STAFF SECURITY AT MUMBAI, PUNE AIRPORTS

NEW DELHI: Air India is likely to step up security of its staff at Mumbai and Pune airports after Shiv Sena lawmakers allegedly threatened to stall the airline’s operations at these two aerodromes. “We are enhancing security of our staff deployed at Mumbai and Pune rpt Pune Airport in the wake of threat to ground flight operations at these aerodromes,” an Air India source said. The security of Air India’s employee is paramount and it can’t take any chance over this, the source said.

“As the restriction on flying is Shiv Sena MPS creating an affecting the effective discharge uproar in the Lok Sabha where of my duties and responsibilities, they surrounded Raju after the I would request you to lift latter refused to concede their this restriction and let the invesdemand for lifting the ban. tigation eventually determine The House watched in shock the circumstances which led as Sena MPS banged Raju’s to the incident,” Gaikwad said. bench in unbridled fury and

Air India sources, meanwhile, refused to allow him to leave. said the ban is still in Among those who joined in force. creating the ruckus was the lone

Sources in the Civil Aviation Sena minister in the union cabinet Ministry said Gaikwad’s letter Anant Geete. was being “examined”. Rajnath Singh had to intervene

“MOCA (Ministry of Civil to placate the agitated Sena Aviation) has always maintained members and usher Raju out. that Gaikwad should tender “Aircraft is a machine where an apology. Now that we have people fly. Safety is important. a letter with an undertaking Safety cannot be compromised,” that such incidents will not Raju had earlier said, while be repeated, his letter is being responding to the Shiv Sena’s examined,” sources said. demand. His response left the

The day started with belligerent Sena MPS fuming. NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the Prime Minister and the RSS for the Alwar attack, saying there is no place in the country for those disagreeing with them and that tragedies of huge proportion occur when government “abdicates responsibility”.

Taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS, the Congress Vice President charged that the Prime Minister is propagating a vision where only one idea will prevail. “This is a new vision for India that Narendra Modiji is propagating. It is a vision where only one idea will prevail and any other idea, anybody who does not listen to or agree with Narendra Modi or RSS has no place in India. That’s the vision,” Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament.

He was asked to comment on the Alwar violence where a man was killed after an attack by cow vigilantes.

“That is what they are doing. This is going to have very severe consequences for the country. It is their way of thinking that anybody who does not believe in their way of thinking has no place in the country.” Earlier in a series of tweets, the Congress Vice President had hit out at the Rajasthan government for the “brutal and senseless attack” in Alwar.

“When Government abdicates responsibility and allows lynch mobs to rule, tragedies of immense proportion follow.

Shocking breakdown of law and order in Alwar,” he said in a tweet. He said all right thinking Indians must condemn this “blind brutality” and hoped the state government will take strict action against those responsible for the “senseless attack”. Gandhi said, “We expect Government to take strict action against those responsible for this brutal and senseless attack.”

A 55-year-old man died at a hospital in Alwar district after allegedly being beaten by a group of cow vigilantes, with the police arresting three persons in connection with the case.