JOIN US Lok Sabha witnessed chaos on Thursday as Shiv Sena members led by Union minister Anant Geete charged at Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju over the airlines’ ban on their colleague Ravindra Gaikwad.
The civil aviation minister firmly refused to intervene in the matter, saying the safety of passengers cannot be compromised.
Gaikwad was attending Lok Sabha for the first time after the incident in which he assaulting an airline manager, denied any wrongdoing on his own part and accused Air India officials of misbehaving with him.
Shiv Sena members had demanded withdrawal of the attempt to culpable homicide charge under Section 308 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), slapped against Gaikwad in an FIR lodged by Delhi Police. But the civil aviation minister said the law will take its course.
He also indirectly refused any preferential treatment to Gaikwad, saying it was not about a member of Parliament but a passenger.
“If you want to defuse the situation, we can defuse. If you want to aggravate the situation, we can aggravate. Aircraft is a machine where people fly. Safety is important. Safety cannot be compromised,” Raju said. Upset with the response, Shiv Sena MPs including Geete reached Raju’s bench and surrounded him. Other Union ministers were seen shielding the aviation minister.
“No flight will take off from Mumbai,” Geete was heard shouting repeatedly at the aviation minister, who sat quietly without reacting.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Textile Minister Smriti Irani and other Bharatiya Janata Party members were seen trying to placate Geete and other Shiv Sena MPs while BJP’s S S Ahluwalia escorted Raju out of the House.
The Lok Sabha witnessed multiple adjournments due to the ruckus created by the Sena MPs. Most of the opposition parties supported Gaikwad with Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee asking, “Under which law, a passenger cannot fly.”
Air India beefs up security for staff
Amid threats from Shiv Sena that it will disrupt its services, Air India is stepping up security of its staff at Mumbai and Pune airports, DHNS reports from New Delhi. The Shiv Sena has threatened to stall the airline’s operations at these two airports.