Ravindra Gaikwad has 5 duplicates, even Shatrughan Sinha mistook one for Shiv Sena MP

Lok Sabha MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra Ravindra Gaikwad, who was accused of assaulting an Air India Staffer last month, has been able to play hide and seek with media and people since March 23, when he allegedly assaulted an Air India staffer.

Now, it has emerged that he did with the help of five supporters, who resemble him. These five people have similar appearance and look like Ravindra Gaikwad.

They sport similar beard and dress the way this Member of Parliament does. Ravindra Gaikwad claims his look-alikes are so similar to him that even BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha mistook one of them for Shiv Sena MP and waved at him.

India Today spotted Ravindra Gaikwad today at a Latur pan shop in Marathwada. Sitting next to the Lok Sabha MP was his driver, who looked liked him only.

The India Today team followed Ravindra Gaikwad to the government circuit house. Another Gaikwad look-alike was spotted here walking along side the controversial MP. This man was Pradeep Madney, who is a teacher by profession. Madney resembles Ravindra Gaikwad so much that it is difficult to single the original MP out.

LOOK-ALIKES ARE THERE BY CHOICE

Talking to India Today, Ravindra Gaikwad explained why he felt to have look-alikes with him.

While heading back to Delhi after March 23-Air India controversy that Ravindra Gaikwad thought of using his duplicate to fool media-persons, who were trying every bit to locate him for an interview. However, Gaikwad used other trick like getting off the train before reaching Delhi to avoid persisting media-persons.

Gaikwad feels pride in using his look-alikes. This tactic was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj while escaping from the Agra fort, Gaikwad says. He is happy that media could not get to him before he reached Parliament.

SHATRUGHAN SINHA, RAJDHANI PASSENGERS GOT CONFUSED

Ravindra Gaikwad explained how fellow passengers in the Mumbai Rajdhani Express took his look-alike Ratnakar Sagar as the real Osmanabad MP.

Ravindra Gaikwad had his supporter Sagar travelling in his name. Passengers of the Rajdhani Express even clicked photographs and selfies with Sagar.

Gaikwad claims that even BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha spoke to Ratnakar Sagar and waved at him thinking he was the Shiv Sena MP.

'COMMITTED NO WRONG'

Now after 23 days of March 23-incident, Ravindra Gaikwad is still firm on his stand that he has not done anything wrong with the Air India staffer.

His latest narrative to India Today is this: He tried to hit the Ai India staffer but he was stopped by an Air Hostess. After some time, when the senior Air India staffer was getting down, he used abusive language. Following this, Ravindra Gaikwad went up to the door of the plane and caught the staffer with his collar. Gaikwad tried to push him but the other Air India staffers caught hold of MP Gaikwad and took him aside.

Gaikwad maintains that putting him on the no-fly list by Air India was wrong. He said that without conducting an inquiry the Civil Aviation Ministry took the decision, which was wrong.

Ravindra Gaikwad argued that there had been two prior incidents, when TDP legislators ransacked the Air India office, broke furniture and equipment at one of the airports, but the Civil Aviation Ministry did not take any action against them. Air India and Civil Aviation Ministry were biased in his case, Ravindra Gaikwad feels.

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