Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad wrote a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapthi Raju voicing "regret" over the "unfortunate incident". The Air India Cabin Crew Association, however, has said he must not be allowed to fly until he tenders an "unconditional apology"
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, at the centre of a row over assaulting an Air India employee, on Thursday wrote a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapthi Raju voicing "regret" over the "unfortunate incident".
"I write to convey my regrets for the unfortunate incident that took place on 23rd March, 2017 in the Air India Flight No. AI-852 seat No. 1F," Gaikwad, who has been steadfast in refusing to tender an apology to either the national carrier or the staffer concerned, said.
"It could have been no one's intention to have let the situation aggravate to the level that it eventually did. While the on-going investigation will bring out the factual sequence of events to fix responsibility, this incident may kindly not be seen as a reason for likely recurrence of such an event in future also," he said in the letter.
The letter, according to official sources, followed a meeting in Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's chamber in Parliament where Shiv Sena MPs were told that if Gaikwad issued a statement committing that he would not engage in any such incident in future, the government could intervene and have the ban revoked.
"As the restriction on flying is affecting the effective discharge of my duties and responsibilities, I would request you to lift this restriction and let the investigation eventually determine the circumstances which led to the incident," Gaikwad said.
'Gaikwad poses threat to flight safety'
The Air India Cabin Crew Association has said Gaikwad must not be allowed to fly until he tenders an "unconditional apology" for beating up a 60-year-old staffer, and asserted that he poses a risk to flight safety.
In a letter to the AI Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani, the association has said a decision by either the Ministry of Civil Aviation or Parliament to lift the ban will affect the morale of the employees.
"Unless he tenders an unconditional apology to AI employees, and undertakes in writing to abide by the Chicago and Tokyo Conventions & Rules of the Air and follow all cabin safety and public behaviour norms, we must not let him on board," says the letter.
"Ravindra Gaikwad is and will continue to be a risk to flight safety and flight operations and to Cabin Crew safety on board, and hence Government must think long and hard about letting him back on," the letter added.
The association said it would be a "crying shame" if he is let off "without even a rap on the knuckles".
"For either the ministry or the Parliament to allow such a person to get away without even a rap on the knuckles or even forcing an apology to all Air- Indians and indeed all Indians, would be a crying shame.
"It would also crush the morale of all employees and indeed all fair minded Indians. We do not wish to be flying such a person," the association wrote in the letter.
