Gaikwad controversy: Airlines banning Sena leader show 'dadagiri', says SP

Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agrawal backed Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Gaikwad on Monday in the Rajya Sabha, attacking airlines that banned his entry.

Airlines banning Ravindra Gaikwad just goes to show their thuggishness 'dadagiri'. 

The Shiv Sena had brought a privilege motion in Parliament on Monday over the issue of Gaikwad being put on a 'no fly list' of all airlines.

Gaikwad was forced to take a New Delhi-Mumbai train on Friday after all major airlines in the country put him on their no-fly list for assaulting a senior Air India official.

Gaikwad abused and assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager of the national carrier with his slippers, venting his anger after being denied business class on a Pune-New Delhi Air India flight on Thursday.

Air India and five private airlines banned the 56-year-old MP for Maharashtra’s Osmanabad from flying as he refused to apologise for the incident that triggered nationwide outrage.

Air India cancelled the MP’s return ticket for the 4.15pm flight on Friday, but he booked an IndiGo flight through an agent.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena has given a shutdown call in Maharashtra's Osmanabad in support of Gaikwad. Earlier, the Centre also took cognisance of the incident and assured a thorough probe into the matter.