On Thursday, March 23, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad hit an elderly Air India officer with his sandal in a brazen burst of fury over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.
The incident occurred after Gaikwad refused to disembark at Delhi airport.
The MP turned violent, broke the duty manager's spectacles, tore his shirt, hit him with his slipper 16 or 17 times, Air India sources said.
Watch the shocking video HERE
After his assault on 60-year-old Air India duty manager Sukumar, when confronted about the beating by the media, Gaikwad was boastful about it, saying, 'I first asked him to lower his voice as his blood pressure would shoot up. He then said he would complain to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. Then I slapped him. I hit him 25 times with my sandal.'
'I am a Shiv Sena MP, not of the BJP, to tolerate abuses,' the MP from Osmanabad, Maharashtra, added.
Watch Gaikwad bragging about the assault
Following the incident, Air India has filed two FIRs against the MP.
On Friday morning, the Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as its members, banned the Sena MP from its flights.
Air India too cancelled Gaikwad's ticket for a flight on Friday.
Gaikwad remains unfazed by the action or the national criticism he faces.
In the video below, he says he won't apologise and dares the police to arrest him.
Disagree with the Shiv Sena MP's actions? BOO him!
© 2024 Rediff.com -