Gaikwad issue in LS: Sena asks why Kapil Sharma wasn't banned, 'tai' Sumitra Mahajan says 'calm down'

The issue of assault of an Air India staffer by a Shiv Sena MP resonated in the Lok Sabha, with his party demanding revocation of a ban on his flying but it got no positive response from the government which justified the action by the airlines. Members of the Shiv Sena, an ally of the ruling BJP, created uproar in the House and at one point of time, engaged in a verbal duel with Congress members who slammed Ravindra Gaikwad for his action.

The Shiv Sena's Leader in the House Anandrao Adsul, who raised the issue, said he was only seeking lifting 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. However, Civil Aviation Minister P 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 emphasising 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 safety guidelines.The same guidelines were invoked in the case of Gaikwad who has been barred from flying by all the major airlines.

Adsul said the ban was against the Constitution and the law and that the government must intervene immediately. He 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." Adsul referred to a recent incident of alleged misbehaviour by comedian Kapil Sharma during a flight to Australia and wondered why no action was taken against him.

To this, Raju said, "We cannot have an unequal approach" but did not elaborate. With the minister giving no positive response, the Shiv Sena members expressed their unhappiness by trooping into the Well of the House.

Speaker 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. "Mujhe zyaada bholne pe majhboor na kare (Don't force me to speak more on the issue)," Mahajan said.

Sumitra Mahajan asks for amicable solution

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan pitched for an amicable resolution of the issue involving domestic airlines' blanket ban on Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad.   Though she did not categorically call for the lifting of the fly-ban on Gaikwad, who had assaulted an Air India staffer last week, she said MPs need to attend Parliament and they cannot always travel by train. "MPs need to attend Parliament and they cannot travel by train always. At times, they need to travel by plane also. I feel that this issue (blanket ban) should be resolved amicably through talks," she said. Mahajan, however, said that she was not the one to pass a judgement but was trying to help resolve the issue as the agitating MPs have sought help from her as she was the Speaker.  

"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. How the ban could be lifted needs to be discussed and resolved amicably," she told reporters after a meeting attended by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Sena MPs.

After Air India put him on the no-fly list, the Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir as its members, also imposed a ban on Gaikwad from flying on their network.

The airlines' move came after the MP had last week assaulted 62-year-old duty manager of Air India R Sukumar with slippers over not being able to fly business class despite having boarded an all-economy flight.

After the ban, Gaikwad had to travel by train from Delhi to Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant, after the meeting, said, "All airlines have come together banning him (Gaikwad), but it is our fundamental right (to travel by air)." Mahajan said the MPs, so far, have not given notice of a privilege motion. Such a notice can be given by any member of either House of a state legislature or Parliament against anyone who is accused of breach of privilege.

This privilege provides certain rights and immunities to MPs, MLAs and MLCs.