Like Gaikwad, should CM face ban over beating of farmer: Raut

Commenting on ban on the party MP Ravindra Gaikwad by major airlines, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut today asked whether the Maharashtra Chief Minister should be similarly banned from travelling after a farmer was beaten up outside his office.
Major airlines have banned Gaikwad from flying after he assaulted an Air India staffer on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at a function here, Raut referred to an incident at the state secretariat on the same day where a farmer was allegedly beaten up by security guards outside the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's office.
"When a farmer was beaten up outside CM's office, are you going to ban the CM from travelling? Without carrying out any inquiry into Gaikwad's behaviour, he should not have been banned by airlines. Shiv Sena does not endorse his actions but procedure should be followed," Raut said.

"There should be investigation of both Gaikwad's actions as well as the behaviour of Air India officials. Let the ethics committee (of Parliament) conduct inquiry in Gaikwad's case," said Raut, a Rajya Sabha member.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who was also present at the function, refused to face questions on the issue.
Senior Shiv Sena leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi also refused to comment.