Stay away from Delhi, Sena tells Gaikwad

In the eye of a storm over charges of assaulting an Air India staffer, MP Ravindra Gaikwad has been advised by the Shiv Sena leadership to stay away from the national capital till the issue over his air travel ban is settled.

The Sena also redoubled its efforts to get the travel ban on Gaikwad lifted by writing fresh letters to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, explaining his version of the incident at the Delhi airport.

Last week, Gaikwad was forced to take a train to Mumbai after half-a-dozen airlines put him on a no-fly list. There were reports that Gaikwad had set out on a road journey from his constituency to attend Parliament. However, Sena sources dismissed these reports. “He has been asked to lie low for a while,” a Shiv Sena source said, hoping the matter would be resolved amicably soon. Efforts were also afoot to explore if the matter could be resolved with Gaikwad expressing regret over the incident.