Sena asks Speaker to get ban on Gaikwad lifted

Renewing its effort to get the air travel ban on party MP Ravindra Gaikwad revoked, the Shiv Sena on Thursday urged Lok Sabha Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan to give necessary directions to airline companies as the restrictions were hampering his legislative work. A delegation of Shiv Sena parliamentarians met the Speaker on Thursday with a plea that the travel ban on Gaikwad, who is accused of assaulting an Air India employee, was a violation of his fundamental right.

“It is also an injustice to people of his constituency. Gaikwad is a public representative and the travel ban is affecting his legislative work,” Vinayak Raut, a Sena member from Sindhudurg, told reporters after the meeting. Sena leaders also wondered whether the airlines were acting under pressure from “someone”.

“If they are doing it under pressure from someone, this pressure will also not work for long,” Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha member, said. There are murmurs within the Shiv Sena that the BJP was trying to “get even” with it given the testy relations the two parties share in Maharashtra, where it runs a coalition government.

In early March, the BJP had avoided a showdown with the Sena after the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The BJP, which finished just 2 seats short of Sena, did not contest the Mayoral elections allowing Sena a virtual walkover.