After air, Sena carries out land attack in Parliament

Sena MPs gherao aviation minister Raju over Gaikwad row

The Shiv Sena continued its support of its unruly MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Thursday by attempting to assault aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju in the Lok Sabha.

Mr Gaikwad, who has been widely condemned for hitting an Air India employee because he was not given a business class seat, and has subsequently been banned from flying by six airlines, had made a lengthy defence of his action in the House.

Reading from a prepared note he said it was all hype created by the media that he slapped the AI official. Instead, he said, it was the AI official who manhandled and was rude to him.

He said he was prepared to apologise to Parliament for his behaviour but he will not apologise to Air India or the official who abused and manhandled him. “What sin have I committed? How can there be a travel ban forced on me? Please tell me what crime I have committed,” he said.

The aviation minister said in his reply that Mr Gaikwad had written him a letter giving his version of the incident which he has forwarded to the police and it would be part of the inquiry now.

“It is a process of law, and let the law take its own course,” Mr Raju said. He said the aviation ministry cannot compromise on the safety of passengers, indicating that the ban on Mr Gaikwad by the airlines would not be lifted as of now.

The Shiv Sena continued its support of its unruly MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Thursday by attempting to assault aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju in the Lok Sabha. “It is a process of law, and let the law take its own course,” Mr Raju said.

This was like the proverbial red rag.

Led by Union minister for heavy industries Anant Geete, Shiv Sena MPs almost gheraoed Mr Raju and tried to assault him. Cabinet ministers led by Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani and S.S. Ahluwalia and a score of Telugu Desam and other MPs, rushed to Mr Raju’s rescue and prevented what could have been a physical assault on him. Mr Geete shouted and actually threatened, “We will see no flight takes off from Mumbai from Friday.”

TD members who rushed to Mr Raju’s defence suffered some damage themselves. TD Lok Sabha leader Thota Narasimham’s shirt was torn when he interposed himself between Mr Geete and Mr Raju.

Mr Rajnath Singh managed to take Mr Geete away from the scene even as the minister repeated his threat of shutting down flights in Mumbai if the ban on his fellow MP was not lifted.

TD members made a protective ring around Mr Raju and escorted him out of the House.

The House was adjourned for 15 minutes by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan when she saw Shiv Sena members rushing to the podium and surrounding Mr Raju and raising slogans.

There has been widespread condemnation of the unruly behaviour of Shiv Sena MPs, especially from AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. After a meeting convened by the Speaker in her chambers with Shiv Sena MPs and Mr Raju, Mr Rajnath Singh conveyed to the Lok Sabha that an amicable solution was being worked out and the House will be kept informed.

There has been widespread condemnation of the unruly behaviour of Shiv Sena MPs, especially from AP CM N. Chandrababu Naidu.