Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad has become an overnight trending topic on social media, after he assaulted an Air India staffer "25 times" with his footwear and tried to throw him off a Pune-Delhi flight, that landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning. Apparently, the MP was upset over being given a seat in the 'economy section' of the aircraft.
On Friday, as the 56-year-old MP refused to apologise to the Air India staffer, the airline confirmed issuing an order "blacklisting Gaikwad with immediate effect". Meanwhile, according to the media reports, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), representing Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, are considering banning the MP from flying in their planes. The FIA is yet to make an official statement.
On social media, the incident has triggered an avalanche of tweets criticising Gaikwad for his unruly behavior and supporting Air India for its decision to put Gaikwad on the blacklist.
Gaikwad keeps asserting "I am a teacher". Like that has become a license in this country. Teacher, son of teacher. #AirIndia #ShivSena
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) March 23, 2017
#ShivSena MP hits #AirIndia employee with slippers. My #cartoon pic.twitter.com/CAJ2LFYcm7
— MANJUL (@MANJULtoons) March 23, 2017
Shameless and Disgracefully arrogant.#Goongaikwad .Its high tym we put such MPs behind bars & end vvip hooliganism #shivsena #AirIndia.
— Rini Srivastava (@Rini_Sri30) March 23, 2017
#ShivSena MP #RavindraGaikwad banned from flying. Wish he is banned lifelong by all airlines. @uddhavthackeray @AUThackeray
— Girish Kuber (@girishkuber) March 24, 2017
Shiv Sena MP #RavindraGaikwad air rage in #AirIndia flight.Some measures to check the #VVIPs. My #Cartoons pic.twitter.com/mp4XUj3j8l
— Neelabh Banerjee (@NeelabhToons) March 23, 2017
This is not the first time that Gaikwad has stirred controversy. The Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad constituency in the Marathwada region made news in 2014 when he allegedly tried to force-feed a Muslim catering worker over the quality of chapatis served at the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, during the fasting month of Ramzan.
