Can't take suo moto action against MP for assault, says Speaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday said that "suo moto action" cannot be taken against Shiv Sena member Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an airline staffer, but stressed that "no MP is allowed to misbehave with anyone".

"No one is allowed to misbehave with anyone, even if he is an MP, a common man or any official. As a mother, I teach children not to misbehave with people," Mahajan said.

Asked if any suo moto action will be taken against Gaikwad and whether any complaint was received by her against him, Mahajan said: "(I) can't take suo moto action as the incident took place outside Parliament."

"I did not see any complaint in the case till now. Let me see and study it first, then I can say anything over it," she added.

Gaikwad has admitted to assaulting an Air India staffer "25 times" with his slippers on Thursday.

The Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad from Maharashtra was on Thursday booked in two cases for assaulting the Air India shift manager and delaying a scheduled flight to Goa.

The "unruly" MP's grouse stemmed from the fact that he had to travel economy class on a Pune-New Delhi flight AI-852 though he held an open business class ticket. The aircraft, it was reported, did not have a business class.

He later refused to disembark from the flight at New Delhi airport for an hour, hurled abuses, indulged in violent and unruly behaviour and even tried to physically fling out the staffer from the aircraft.

--IANS

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