Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was forced to take a train from New Delhi to Mumbai on Friday, had to cut short his trip at Vapi railway station in Gujarat yesterday
Mediapersons seen waiting for Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad at Mumbai Central station. Pic/Bipin Kokate
ADVERTISEMENT
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was forced to take a train from New Delhi to Mumbai on Friday, after being put on the 'no-fly' list of almost all domestic airlines, had to cut short his trip at Vapi railway station in Gujarat yesterday morning.
The Sena leader allegedly deboarded the train to escape mediapersons, who were hounding him at each station. Gaikwad, a former college professor, is in the eye of the storm for slapping an Air India staffer "25 times" after being denied a business class seat in an all-economy flight.
All major airline carriers had blacklisted the MP on Friday, after he defiantly asserted that he would take the flight to Mumbai to visit party chief Uddhav Thackeray and explain his stand on the row. The leader had to eventually take the August Kranti Rajdhani Express from New Delhi.
Ravindra Gaikwad
According to a senior party leader, Gaikwad cut short his trip on the party's instructions. Sena, which was aware that the Thackeray-Gaikwad meeting would be watched closely, asked the erring MP to postpone the meeting till further instructions, party insiders said. "Sena is aware that if Gaikwad continues to speak on the Air India row, the issue will remain alive. Hence, Gaikwad has been advised to avoid any interaction with individuals or media on the issue," a senior party leader said.
Television media had accosted Gaikwad at all major stations to seek his comment on being blacklisted. At Mumbai Central station too, mediapersons had been waiting for him expectantly since yesterday afternoon. But, an unremorseful Gaikwad surprised everyone as he disembarked at Vapi station and proceeded towards his parliamentary constituency Osmanabad, in the Marathwada region.
Shiv Sena has already made it clear that it does not endorse any kind of violence by public representatives elected on the party symbol. "What Gaikwad did was not right, but one has to conduct an unbiased inquiry into the entire episode to find out what provoked the MP to take such a drastic step," senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut earlier told mid-day.
Though Sena had distanced itself from the issue, several Sena workers gathered outside Vapi station to welcome the MP. The Sainiks even cheered for Gaikwad when he got off from the train at Vapi station. "He received a hero's welcome by Shiv Sainiks at Vapi," said one of his co-passengers, on condition of anonymity.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
