Shiv Sena take to the street in support of rogue MP

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, March 27

Just as its leaders in Parliament, Shiv Sena cadre held protest ralliies in support of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was caught on camera beating up an Air India official last week.

Shiv Sena activists held a bike rally in several parts of Osmanabad district in Maharashtra, even forcing shops to put up their shutters for the day and forcibly clearing roads. 

Shiv Sena workers in Mumbai demanded an inquiry into Air India staff’s recording of the incident and releasing it online. “We want a complete inquiry on those people who instigated Gaikwad into getting into a fight at Delhi airport and then uploaded the video online,” Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande told reporters, although she quickly added that the party did not condone violence.

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray has stopped Gaikwad from speaking to the press.

The Parliamentarian however had told the press after the incident that he did not regret assaulting the Air India employee, even demanding that the latter apologise to him.

After airlines refused to allow him to fly from Delhi, Gaikwad took the August Kranti Express on Friday
evening till Gujarat’s Vapi and choose to travel home by road to avoid press coverage at the Mumbai Central Station.