New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, accused of beating up an Air India employee, on Thursday claimed innocence in the Parliament, saying the national carrier staffer misbehaved first.
Presenting his side of the story in Lok Sabha, Gaikwad said AI official's rude behaviour was responsible for the unruly incident.
While admitting to pushing the Air India employee, the Sena MP said he was ready to apologise to the Parliament if his act caused disrespect to the temple of democracy, but not to the Air India official.
“The AI official spoke rudely, held my collar, but I remained calm, as humility is in my nature,” said Gaikwad.
Gaikwad claimed he just pushed an official only after he was pushed around.
Gaikwad, who had confessed to hitting an Air India duty manager for not being given a business class seat, said in the House that on the day of the incident (March 23) he was made to travel in economy class despite having a business class ticket.
The Sena MP claimed that an official, when asked about his identity, told him that he was "Air India ka baap" (Air India's father) and taunted him by asking "are you Narendra Modi", when he said he was a Lok Sabha MP.
He demanded a thorough inquiry into the whole incident and action against all the airlines which have put him on no fly list.
Gaikwad also questioned Delhi Police's action of registering an FIR under Section 308 (attempt to murder) against him.
Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad in Maharashtra, 57-year-old Gaikwad accused the media of being biased towards him.
Gaikawad also said that different tickets were booked in his name by other people later, adding that the Aadhaar or other identity cards should be made mandatory for booking an airline ticket.
"Probe the whole incident, see who is guilty, and lift the flying ban on me," he urged.
The Sena MP had abused and assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager of Ait India with slippers over not being able to fly business class despite having boarded an all-economy Pune-New Delhi flight.
Following the incident, Air India and major domestic airlines have barred the 57-year-old MP from flying as he refused to apologise for the incident that triggered nationwide outrage.
The Sena MP has remained defiant and refused to apologise for repeatedly beating and trying to push down Sukumar from the aircraft. He also dared Delhi Police to arrest him and alleged that it was AI official Sukumar who hit him first.
Besides Air India, the airlines which won't allow Gaikwad to fly as FIA members are IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air. AirAsia and Vistara, which are not with FIA, have also joined them.
