AI Staffer Assault Case: Haven't Been Called by Uddhav Thackery as of Now, Says Gaikwad

New Delhi: A day after domestic airlines decided to unitedly "ban" Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying on their aircraft for assaulting an Air India officer, the Sena MP on Saturday said he was not called by party chief Uddhav Thackery to issue a clarification over his alleged misbehaviour.

"I have not been called by Uddhav Thackery as of now. I will come back to Delhi on Wednesday, and then give a statement. I will also speak to Thackeray and Anil Desai before commenting on the issue." a beleaguered Gaikwad told CNN-News18.

Thackeray on Saturday evaded media questions on Gaikwad and what action will be taken against him by the party.

According to a close aide of Gaikwad, he was last known to be in Pune, where one of his relatives is undergoing some treatment. There is a possibility that he might go to Umargaon, which is 80 kms from Solapur, also his native village. But till now his close aide in the village has not received any such information.

On Friday, Gaikwad boarded the August Kranti Rajdhani Express for Mumbai from Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. The Sena leader didn't disclose his full name to hide his identity while booking the ticket.

The Shiv Sena on Friday appeared sympathetic to its MP Ravindra Gaikwad, saying while it did not endorse his action, it wanted to know why the situation was allowed to escalate to this level.

"The speed at which our party MP has been banned from flights, if Air India had similarly ordered an improvement in its services, it would have been better," Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and spokesman Sanjay Raut said.

Raut said although his party had no agenda for violence, "if provoked, the party would hit back appropriately".

"The question does not concern only one MP, but the common masses in the country also who have to suffer due to the service of Air India," Raut said, appearing to defend Gaikwad.

He alleged that when passengers were being "looted" in airports at Mumbai and New Delhi, why such promptness was lacking on improving Air India's service.

Raut said rather than the party taking any action, it would let the law would take its own course in the matter.

He termed the issue as "minor" but blown out of proportions by the government to divert attention from major issues like farmers suicides in the country.

Though, Osmanabad MP Gaikwad admitted to having assaulted an Air India staffer "25 times" with his slipper and even tried to push him out of the aircraft in Delhi on Thursday, he refused to apologise for assaulting the Air India staffer.

On Friday, the Delhi Police registered a case against Gaikwad under Sections 308 and 355 of the IPC and transferred the case to Delhi Police crime branch for thorough probe.