Controversial Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who had assaulted an Air India official, will be meeting party president Uddhav Thackeray today.
All major airlines including Air India had barred Ravindra Gaikwad from flying on their aircraft after the Sena MP assaulted the Air India official.
However, Air India lifted the flying ban against Gaikwad on Friday after he expressed regret for assaulting one of its employees on March 23.
Gaikwad, who arrived by the Rajdhani Express from Delhi this morning, would be meeting the Sena president at the latter’s residence Matoshri in suburban Bandra later today.
“I will be meeting Uddhavji around noon today,” Gaikwad said.
The lawmaker boarded the train from Delhi last evening hours after the flying ban was lifted by the national carrier following a letter by the Osmanabad MP to the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Thursday expressing “regret” over the “unfortunate incident”.
The revocation of the ban came despite two AI unions of the cabin crew and pilots protesting the move to lift the restrictions imposed on the air travel of the MP.
However, an AI spokesman had said, “Air India is a subsidiary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and, therefore, an apology to the ministry is akin to an apology to the airline and our employees.”
The 56-year-old Parliamentarian had assaulted AI employee R Sukumar on March 23 after he landed in Delhi on a Pune-Delhi all-economy flight.
(With PTI inputs)
