Indian politician hits air steward 25 times with slipper over seat
MUMBAI: An Indian politician brazenly admitted on Thursday that he hit a steward on an Air India flight 25 times with his slipper during a row over a seat.
Ravindra Gaikwad, an MP in India’s lower house for the Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena party, claimed that the attendant had insulted him first on the Pune to New Delhi flight.
“What did he say, that I hit him with my hand? I hit him 25 times with a slipper,” an unrepentant Gaikwad told ANI news agency.
The politician’s victim told ANI: “R. Gaikwad hit me, used bad words and not only broke my specs, but humiliated me in front of the whole crew.”
Indian media reports said Gaikwad claimed he had a business class ticket but that Air India put him in an economy seat for the Thursday morning flight to India’s capital.
After first complaining to an air hostess, Gaikwad, who represents a constituency in the western state of Maharashtra, got into a heated argument with the senior flight attendant.
“(The steward) said ‘I will complain to (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi,’ so I hit him,” said Gaikwad. “Should I have to listen to this abuse?” he added.
Politicians from other political parties roundly condemned Gaikwad’s actions while a spokesman for Air India told AFP the airline was investigating the incident.
Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, taking note of the incident, told the local media: “This is wrong and shouldn’t have happened.”
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said: “Whatever happened was very unfortunate. We will speak to him and will try to find out what went wrong. The matter will be taken up by our party chief Uddhav Thackeray.”
Last year, an Indian MP was arrested for allegedly slapping an airline official at an airport in Andhra Pradesh after he and his family were prevented from boarding their flight because the gate had closed.