Shiv Sena MP sullen, silent on train journey

Mumbai: Ravindra Gaikwad, the Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) who made headlines for beating up an Air India staffer with his sandals, travelled as a silent, sullen commuter in the August Kranti Express from Delhi after many airlines refused to ferry him. Though he had a booking till Mumbai Central, he got off at Vapi on Saturday. However, sloganeering at the station made fellow commuters aware about his presence. The attendant in the train who served the Sena leader claimed that Mr Gaikwad had no food, only asked for tea and remained silent.

Sources said Mr Gaikwad alighted from the train at Vapi to escape the media attention he would attract otherwise.

A pantry assistant, Abhishek Singh, said that although he knew Mr Gaikwad’s identity and that they have to take care of public officials while they are travelling according to railways protocol, the MP helped himself to a few cups of tea and was mostly sullen while he sat in his corner seat. Mr Singh said, “We are usually told by the ticket collector to make sure that when an MP or an MLA is travelling, we have to take extra care but he didn’t take the evening meal and mostly seemed to be unusually quiet in the corner of the compartment.”

An unidentified man accompanying Mr Gaikwad on the train journey was said to have suffered chest pains near Mathura and was declared fit to travel after being examined by a railway doctor.

 Mr Gaikwad chose to travel by train after five airlines barred him from flying.

The now infamous public servant was sat in seat number 21 of the A1 coach of the August Kranti, which left Delhi at 4.20 pm on Friday. The train reached Mumbai Central station at 9.45 am but co-passengers of Mr Gaikwad said he alighted from the train at Vapi itself.

Benazir Sheikh, who was travelling with her husband and two children, said, “We didn’t know he was an MP until the train reached Vapi at around 7 am and we heard slogans coming from the platform. Upon asking what was going on, the pantry boy said he is an MP.”

She further said, “He was quiet pretty much throughout the journey and I don’t think anyone realised who he was.”

While boarding the train back in Delhi, Mr Gaikwad told the media, “Whatever is to be done will be decided by Uddhavji.”

Sources said Mr Gaikwad is expected to visit Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray soon for a sit down.

Mr Gaikwad had made news after assaulting an Air India staffer with his sandals over an argument about being made to fly economy when he had a coupon for business class travel. The flight that Mr Gaikwad was travelling in did not have business class.