Hyderabad: The Shiv Sena continued its support of its unruly MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Thursday by attempting to assault aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju in the Lok Sabha. “It is a process of law, and let the law take its own course,” Mr Raju said.
This was like the proverbial red rag. Led by Union minister for heavy industries Anant Geete, Shiv Sena MPs almost gheraoed Mr Raju and tried to assault him. Cabinet ministers led by Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani and S.S. Ahluwalia and a score of Telugu Desam and other MPs, rushed to Mr Raju’s rescue and prevented what could have been a physical assault on him. Mr Geete shouted and actually threatened, “We will see no flight takes off from Mumbai from Friday.”
TD members who rushed to Mr Raju’s defence suffered some damage themselves. TD Lok Sabha leader Thota Narasimham’s shirt was torn when he interposed himself between Mr Geete and Mr Raju.
Mr Rajnath Singh managed to take Mr Geete away from the scene even as the minister repeated his threat of shutting down flights in Mumbai if the ban on his fellow MP was not lifted. TD members made a protective ring around Mr Raju and escorted him out of the House.
The House was adjourned for 15 minutes by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan when she saw Shiv Sena members rushing to the podium and surrounding Mr Raju and raising slogans.
There has been widespread condemnation of the unruly behaviour of Shiv Sena MPs, especially from AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. After a meeting convened by the Speaker in her chambers with Shiv Sena MPs and Mr Raju, Mr Rajnath Singh conveyed to the Lok Sabha that an amicable solution was being worked out and the House will be kept informed.
Air India beefs up security at airports
Air India has beefed up security at Mumbai and Pune airports, after the Shiv Sena allegedly threatened to stall the airline’s operations at the two airports over its MP Ravindra Gaikwad not being allowed to fly with the national carrier.
All the flights departing and arriving at Mumbai and Pune will see beefed up security. Gaikwad had on Thursday threatened the airline to disrupt the services, if he is not allowed to fly with the airline again.
Gaikwad, who even interrupted the Union civil aviation minister Gajapathi Raju in Parliament over the issue on Thursday, stressed on the need to lift the ban that has allegedly been imposed on him from flying in the domestic sector by aviation companies.
Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said, “We have already beefed up the security at Mumbai and Pune airports. We will not compromise on the passengers’ safety. We are taking all necessary precautions. Security of our employees comes first. We won’t let our flight operations be affected.”
