Boorish MP, unapologetic Sena

The disgusting behaviour of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who beat up a senior Air India manager with his chappal , to protest against his being “forced” to fly economy , brings to the fore once again the arrogance and rudeness with which our netas behave with anybody and everybody who refuse to say “ Ji huzoor ” to them.

The MP was flying from Pune to Delhi, and was entitled to free business class travel with our money, as all elected representatives are, but as Air India operated an aircraft which had no business class, Gaikwad had to travel economy — this, after the airline had explained it all to his political staff (read flunkeys who are at the service of our parliamentarians, again at our cost). After landing at Delhi, the MP refused to disembark and demanded an explanation. When the airline manager, a 60-year-old man, boarded the aircraft to explain to him why this had happened, Gaikwad slippered him.

Even more disgusting, he later bragged that he had beaten the manager “25 times” with his footwear.

Expectedly, a storm has broken and for once, displaying spine, apart from Air India, a bunch of other airlines, members of the Federation of Indian Airlines, including Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, has banned him from flying. As a result the boorish MP had to return from Delhi to Pune by a train.

But unfortunately, instead of chastising him, Shiv Sena spokespersons at first defended him by mouthing nonsense such as there must have been reason for him to behave as he did, normally he doesn’t lose his temper, and the weirdest of all explanations: he has done a lot for solving the water woes of his constituency. As if that gives him the right to insult and humiliate anybody. Later on we learnt that the Shiv Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray, was “upset” with him. The school bully who roughs up a classmate gets more severely reprimanded by his parents!

Outrageously, after Air India had blacklisted the uncouth MP, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had the nerve to say that Air India needs to introspect “what would happen if the public decides to blacklist the airline”. But then this is not surprising, coming from a party that wears as a badge of honour its propensity for threats and violence whether in digging up cricket pitches or vandalising cinema houses or thrashing toll-booth workers. Shiv Sena legislators have done all this and more in the past.

Not surprisingly, Gaikwad has one more feather in his cap in the art of bullying. He was one of the 11 MPs involved in the ruckus created in Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi in 2014 when a Muslim caterer, Arshad Zubair, who was fasting during Ramzan, was force-fed a chapatti by the MPs, who were enraged that they were not served the food of their choice.

Luckily, the “new India” that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aspiring to create, will not digest such disgraceful behaviour from our elected representatives. Even in August 2014, within hours of the force-feeding incident, the IRCTC that caters for Maharashtra Sadan, stopped all operations in protest, saying that the man had been “deeply pained and hurt, as religious sentiments are involved”. And in response to their written complaint, the Maharashtra Resident Commissioner tendered an apology. But the MPs got away. Apparently, the case against them was dropped.

As long as they continue to get away such behaviour is bound to recur. While politicians, even from the opposition parties, weren’t exactly rushing to the TV studios to condemn Gaikwad’s abominable act, the MP got roasted in the media, particularly the social media. Several cartoons cropped up: special seat belts strapping politicians to their seats with their hands tied and mouth taped; netas having to leave their chappals in the hold area just before boarding; and a much more befitting one of a “VIP cage” transporting such people along with dogs and cats.

For several days after the incident Gaikwad remained defiant, refused to apologise to the Air India staffer, and instead demanded an apology from the victim! This shows the sheer arrogance our netas flaunt, almost as their right. It is time every such act by a legislator, who comes to us with folded hands while begging for votes during elections, and raises it to thrash the janta , both literally and figuratively, after winning it, is taken serious note of. And punished.

One only hopes that the airlines which have blacklisted Gaikwad continue to do so, for at least a year, if not longer. And, as several twitterati have indulged in wishful thinking, if the Indian Railways bans him too, he will really have to put his chappals to the use they are actually meant for — walking!

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