NEW DELHI, April 6 (Xinhua) -- There was massive uproar at the Indian parliament Thursday after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s coalition partner Shiv Sena created ruckus over an air travel ban on one of its lawmakers by all airlines in the country.
The lawmaker of the western state of Maharashtra-based Hindu fundamentalist Shiv Sena party, Ravindra Gaikwad, has been banned by all private and state-run airlines in India for assualting an employee of national carrier Air India two weeks back just because he was refused a business-class seat in a flight to Delhi that only had economy class.
Upset over the travel ban on their collagues, Shiv Sena lawmakers created ruckus at the Lower House of Parliament (Lok Sabha), demanding immediate lifting of the ban on Gaikwad.
When Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju stood his ground, saying the "law should take its course. Aircraft are machines where people fly and safety is important. Safety will not be compromised", Shiv Sena members charged towards him and surrounded him, and Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior ministers had to rush to his side to shield him.
"No flight will take off from Mumbai from tomorrow (Friday) if the travel ban is not lifted," Shiv Sena parliamentatian Anand Geethe shouted repeatedly at the Indian Aviation Minister, who did not at all react to the situation.
The home minister later said the civil aviation minister would talk to all stakeholders to reach an amicable solution at the earliest.
Earlier in the day, Gaikwad presented his version of the Air India incident and said he had only shoved the manager when he insulted parliamentarians.
"I apologize for my behavior but not to the Air India official who abused and manhandled me," Gaikwad told the parliament.
Some two weeks back, all Indian airlines, in a first in the country, banned the lawmaker from their flights in the wake of him beating the Air India employee with his slippers multiple times and later braggging about the incident.
