Sanjay Raut lashes out at Air India for banning Gaikwad, links airline with Dawood

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was thrown into a turmoil on Thursday as Shiv Sena members, including Union Minister Anant Geete, surrounded Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju after he refused to yield to their demand to revoke the flying ban on their colleague Ravindra Gaikwad. Even Sena MP Sanjay Raut addressed media lashing out at Air India and other airlines for imposing a ban on Gaikwad. "How can all these airlines ban an MP? The one who is conspiring behind them will be exposed soon" Sanjay Raut said. He also made a startling statement and linked the owner of Air India with underworld don Dawood. "Owner of one of the airlines has links with Dawood Ibrahim.These airlines helped Mallya also slip away from India" he added. Bharatiya Janata Party members, including several ministers, watched in shock as their allies hit Raju's bench in anger and did not let him leave. Several leaders, including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, tried to placate Geete and his colleagues while Raju was ushered out. The incident occurred soon after the House was adjourned as Sena members created a ruckus over Raju’s response to Gaikwad’s statement. Gaikwad was attending the House for the first time since March 23, when he had assaulted an Air India manager because he was annoyed at not getting business-class service in the all-economy Pune-Delhi flight he had insisted on boarding. Air India and most private airlines have since banned Gaikwad from their flights. On Thursday, the Sena members were upset with Raju's brief but pointed remarks following Gaikwad's statement, in which the Sena member from Osmanabad in Maharashtra denied any wrongdoing on his part and instead accused Air India officials of misbehaving with him and sought action against them, especially the airline's chairman. He tendered an apology to Parliament but insisted that he owed no apology to the airline officials as he sought removal of the ban imposed on him by domestic airlines after he allegedly beat up an Air India officer with slippers. Raju said it was up to Gaikwad to decide if he wanted to defuse the matter or aggravate it, as what has happened is in line with the law. Refusing any preferential treatment to the Sena member, he said the matter was not about an MP but a passenger. “Aircraft is a machine where people fly. Safety is important. Safety cannot be compromised,” Raju said, apparently justifying the ban on Gaikwad. His reply provoked the agitating Sena members who trooped out of their seats and surrounded Raju's seat in the front row. Before Raju spoke, Geete too joined his colleagues in condemning the action against Gaikwad and appeared to be taking a dig at the Union government, saying it is a people's government but the “one-sided decision” was “shameful and tragic”. Raju sat quietly as the Sena members, including Geete, shouted at the minister in anger. After several adjournments, the home minister sought to defuse the crisis by telling the House that the civil aviation minister will talk to “all stakeholders to reach an amicable solution.” (With PTI inputs)