The Government on Monday insisted that a Member of Parliament was like any other “passenger” who could be barred from flying by the airlines as per Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines. But Shiv Sena members in the lok Sabha described the ban on their MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying “as grossly wrong” and demanded that it be lifted immediately, even as Gaikwad’s constituency Osmanabad observed a bandh to protest his “humiliation”.
There were also suggestions that the Government should amend the relevant DGCA rules to bail out the MP from his current ‘No-fly’ status.
The Shiv Sena MP received support from Rajya Sabha’s Samajwadi Party (SP) member Naresh Agarwal who asked whether airlines could ban any MP from travelling for discharge of his official duty. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, he questioned whether the airlines could take an action even before the MP was found guilty of misconduct.
In the lok Sabha, the members of the Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP, created an uproar and denied any assault by Gaikwad on the Air India staffer and asked Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to direct the Government on the issue.
The Shiv Sena members sought the support of “all the members” in the House.
The Government, however, did not give any positive response to Shiv Sena members saying the DGCA had empowered the airlines to deny boarding to any passenger “not only an MP”.
Members of the Shiv Sena engaged in a verbal duel with Congress members who slammed Gaikwad for his actions.
The Shiv Sena leader in the House Anandrao Adsul, who raised the issue, said he was only seeking revocation of the ban on flying imposed on Gaikwad by all major airlines after he assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager of Air India on March 23. Adsul denied any assault by the Sena MP.
He said the ban was against the Constitution that provides free movement for all. “It is not good for the Government…. The Civil Aviation Minister should look into it and remove ban,” he said.
Adsul went on to cite a reported case of stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma who he alleged got drunk and created a ruckus during a flight to Australia, but attracted only an enquiry as against the ban on the Sena MP.
However, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, instead of giving any positive response, admonished Gaikwad for indulging in violence on the flight last week.
“I never in my wildest dreams thought that an MP will get caught in such an incident,” he said, while stressing that “violence of any kind can be disastrous.”
Referring to an earlier incident of violence by an MP against an airline staffer last year, Raju said following that episode, the DGCA had come out with the safety guidelines.
The same guidelines were invoked in the case of Gaikwad who has been barred from flying by all the major airlines.
The Shiv Sena MP also talked about privileges of the MPs, responding to which the Minister said, “An MP is also a passenger...We have to keep safety issues in mind.”
Not happy with the Minister’s response, the Shiv Sena members expressed their unhappiness by trooping into the Well of the House.
Sumitra Mahajan told them that it was not right. “Message achha nahi jaa rahi hai (The message going out is not good)... This is not the way,” she said and told the agitating members to discuss and resolve their issues with the Civil Aviation Minister.
The Speaker said the Shiv Sena members were trying to support something that is “wrong”.
“Being a public representative, the incident he (Gaikwad) was involved in, does not send the right message,” she said.
“Don’t force me to speak more on the issue,” Mahajan said. later, the Civil Aviation Minister and Sena MPs held a meeting with Mahajan.
“I am playing the role of ‘tai’ (elder sister). As of now, everybody is angry. It is time to calm down and resolve the issue,” she said.
Meanwhile, Gaikwad’s constituency observed a bandh to protest his “humiliation”.
“We have called an Osmanabad bandh to protest the humiliation of our leader by the airlines which have denied him flying rights,” Osmanabad district vice-president of the Sena Kamlakar Chavan told PTI.
“Is he a terrorist that he has been barred from flying by all airlines,” Chavan asked.
Gaikwad, himself lay low and refused to reveal his whereabouts.
“I can’t tell you where I am right now. I am with my family members and I will celebrate Gudi Padwa with them before returning to Parliament on Wednesday morning,” he said over phone, adding “I have been asked to stay quiet.”