I am an Aam Aadmi, will take train to Mumbai: Gaikwad

New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Tuesday said that he plans to take the Rajdhani back to Mumbai following the end of the Parliament session.

The Osmanabad MP, who made headlines after he attacked an Air India official with a slipper, told NDTV that he would take the train instead of a flight because he was ‘an Aam Aadmi after all’.

Gaikwad was booked to travel on an Air India flight from Mumbai to Delhi on Monday but cancelled his ticket on Sunday evening, choosing instead to reach New Delhi by Rajdhani.

Air India sources said on Monday that the flight ban on Gaikwad was lifted following a direct government order, indicating that the national carrier had no choice but to toe the line. “The government is the owner of Air India,” commented a source who added however that the airline would not withdraw the FIRs filed against the MP. Sources also said the airline is still contemplating whether to sue the MP for damages.

Last week, on April 7, Air India had announced that it had — on the orders of the civil aviation ministry — lifted the ban on flying Gaikwad who had allegedly beaten up an airline employee on March 23 after a flight.

The government had “advised Air India and other (private) airlines” to lift the ban in view of “the apology tendered by Gaikwad and the undertaking of good conduct given by him”. The Sena MP had sent a letter of regret to the ministry.

Many of the pilots and other employees had been upset over why the airline lifted the ban without the MP directly apologising to the concerned employee or airline. Air India sources however said the airline was duty-bound to follow the orders of the Government.

Air India sources also indicated that the Government’s move to draft rules for establishing a “National No Fly List” to deal with unruly passengers in a more effective manner was the need of the hour and that identification before tickets would probably be carried out either through the Aadhaar card or passport.