Indian MP beats Air India employee with sandal

[rotornut]

Air India files complaint as MP boasts of beating steward - BBC News (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39365932)

[Airbubba]

Folks, you can't make this stuff up... :ugh:

An Indian MP beat an airline employee repeatedly with a slipper after being unable to get a business class seat on an Air India flight.

Ravindra Gaikwad later told Indian reporters he had "hit him 25 times with my sandal" for "arrogance".

The MP had been told he could not fly business class because it was an all-economy flight, reports say.

[Basil]

Ravindra Gaikwad later told Indian reporters he had "hit him 25 times with my sandal" for "arrogance".
Is there something I'm not getting here?

[Airbubba]

More on the VVIP Indian parliamentarian:

Gaikwad earlier in the day admitted that he hit an Air India staffer with slipper followed by a business class sitting issue.

"Yes, I had hit the staff. Do you expect me to hear their abuses quietly? What should have I done? He first misbehaved with me," Gaikwad told ANI.

He further said that he had filed a complaint regarding the sitting arrangement but nobody was there to answer the problem, adding that he had take such an action.

"I will complain about this misbehaviour in the Parliament. They can complaint whoever they want to I will give my answer," he said.

Meanwhile, Air India staffer, Sukumar, who was hit by Gaikwad said that the MP broke his glasses, used bad words and humiliated him in front of the entire crew.

"When I told him what he (Gaikwad) is asking isn't possible, he became abusive and started using foul language. God save our country if this is the culture and behaviour of our MPs," the Air India staffer said.

Civil Aviation Minister condemns physical assault on AI staff | ANI News (http://www.aninews.in/newsdetail-Mg/MzA1NTIz/civil-aviation-minister-condemns-physical-assault-on-ai-staff.html)

[Airbubba]

The obligatory mobile phone video with yelling, pushing and people's backsides in the link below:

Mumbai: TIMES NOW has accessed visuals of inside the Air India flight where Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad attacked and assaulted an Air India staff member with his slippers.

The video shows Gaikwad first threatening to push the staffer off the stairs leading out of the aircraft.

"No no, don't do that sir, don't do that," an Air India staff member is heard shouting when the MP tries to push the staff member towards the exit of the flight.

Gaikwad then returned to his seat and refused to budge, even as the air hostess pleaded with him to cooperate.

"You are our representative, sir, you have worked hard to reach this place," the air hostess is heard saying.

Ravindra Gaikwad, Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha MP, boasted about this incident when he was confronted by the media earlier in the day.

"Yes. I hit him. I wanted to throw him out of the plane," the Shiv Sena MP told TIMES NOW. "Is he really an officer. He is not even a buffalo cart driver. He doesn't know how to deal with customers,"

Gaikwad had even demanded an apology from Air India.

"I have no regrets. First, that person should come and apologise to me and then the Air India CMD should also come and apologise. "

Gaikwad Video (http://www.timesnow.tv/india/video/watch-shiv-sena-mp-threatens-to-push-air-india-staff-member-off-the-plane/58017)

[SOPS]

Why am I not surprised?

[tech log]

The MP had been told he could not fly business class because it was an all-economy flight, reports say.

There are no words.

[Fonsini]

Try beating a US flight attendant with your crocs and see what class of service you end up in :}

[rotornut]

Having been to India a number of times I've seen arrogance among the privileged and wealthy but nothing like this! I'm shocked.

[Lancelot de boyles]

Is there something I'm not getting here?

It is the Indian subcontinent equivalent of 'don't you know who I am?'
Certain peoples self-importance somewhat exceeds all practical considerations, such as seats not being physically available. Over there, it is a common occrurance in daily life.
(We have it too, in the enlightened west. How many passengers have you experienced demanding the quality service of old, having paid less than a night's beer drinking on tickets?)

[Octane]

I had the displeasure of flying Bangkok-Singapore with Air India once. The female flight attendants were utterly ignored by all males of Indian extraction with guys strutting up and down the isle yelling into their phones during the takeoff roll. Pleas to return to their seats and strap in fell on deaf (effing ignorant) ears. Never again will I step foot on their aircraft. Passengers from hell..
Who the hell self respecting MP wears slippers anyway. The nutter should be sacked, humiliated nationwide on all media and banned forever...
Sorry for the rant but I've experienced that sort of crap and my blood is boiling...

[eal401]

The nutter should be sacked, humiliated nationwide on all media and banned forever...


Won't happen I am afraid, what has occurred is reflective of the Indian caste/class system. :ugh:

[guadaMB]

Seems to me that India (and its social/political/etc background) is not well known by PPruners...

[FlyingChipmunk]

Alert authorities. Divert to an inconvenient aerodrome. Contact the media. Offload and arrest. Let's go without this smelly and uneducated :mad:
Easy.

[Peter H]

Major Indian airlines ban MP who beat official - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-39377110)

[Airbubba]

Looks like he got bumped off a couple of flights booked for him this evening:

NEW DELHI: In yet another blow to Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, IndiGo has also cancelled a Delhi-Pune ticket booked for him to fly on Friday evening. Air India had first cancelled his ticket for the same on a 4 pm flight on Friday after he got into an argument and hit a staffer a day earlier.

"After that, an agent made a booking on IndiGo in the name of Ravindra Gaikwad for a 5.50 pm Delhi-Pune flight. All schedule Indian airlines have decided not to allow the MP on their flights and have alerted their reservations for this name. So, as soon as the booking was made on IndiGo, an alert was generated. After that the airline contacted the travel agent who had booked the ticket and he confirmed the same was for the MP," said a source.

On learning this, IndiGo immediately cancelled Gaikwad's Delhi-Pune ticket - the second such cancellation for the MP on this route for Friday. Airline officials have one advice for the Shiv Sena lawmaker: book a rail ticket or charter a plane to reach Pune.

MPs have unlimited business class air travel during Parliament session and they keep travelling between Delhi and their constituencies. On Fridays, the MPS generally leave Delhi and return on Monday morning, apart from making mid-week trips as and when required. As his constituency is several hours away by train, Gaikwad may have to spend his weekends in Delhi till the session is on.

Ravindra Gaikwad: Shiv Sena MP's travel agent books Delhi-Pune on IndiGo, ticket cancelled when airline finds it is for the MP - Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/shiv-sena-mps-agent-books-pune-ticket-on-indigo-airline-cancels-it/articleshow/57810415.cms)

[guadaMB]

What puzzles me (just a bit) is that the nut-brained MP pretended to have a bussiness-class seat in an all-economy configurated AC.
An a remarkable congratulation to all the airlines that banned this animal onboard.
:}

[Airbubba]

Just needs him to kick off on a train and get banned from them too.

We'll see how his train ride goes, he's on the rails to BOM right now, his berth number conveniently listed below for any Air India employees who would like to pay their respects enroute or greet him on arrival ;):

From business class air travel to a long, overnight train journey!

Shiv Sena parliamentarian Ravindra Gaikwad was forced to take a New Delhi-Mumbai train on Friday after all major airlines in the country put him on their no-fly list for assaulting a senior Air India official.

Gaikwad abused and assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager of the national carrier with his slippers, venting his anger after being denied business class on a Pune-New Delhi Air India flight on Thursday.

Air India and five private airlines banned the 56-year-old MP for Maharashtra’s Osmanabad from flying as he refused to apologise for the incident that triggered nationwide outrage.

Air India cancelled the MP’s return ticket for the 4.15pm flight on Friday, but he booked an IndiGo flight through an agent.

The private airline too cancelled the booking, forcing him to take the August Kranti Express, which leaves for Mumbai from Hazrat Nizamuddin station in the Capital at 4.50pm.

“Gaikwad is booked on berth number 21 in the AI [Air India? - Airbubba] compartment. It appears that officials granted him spot reservation for being an MP, after he reached the station,” a railway spokesman said.

The Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from the first-time MP, while Delhi Police registered two FIRs, charging him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Gaikwad faces arrest after the FIRs were lodged. But Delhi Police spokesperson Dependra Pathak said: “Let the crime branch start the probe and establish their case. They will follow legal procedure.”

He had bragged before television cameras that he hit the official 25 times with his footwear. “Kaan ke nichey bajaa daala (beat him below his ears),” he is heard saying in video clips that have gone viral on social media.

He said he went out to watch a Bollywood movie — Badrinath ki Dulhaniya — on Thursday night to “relax” himself.

“Tension-free hona chahiye na ... you also watch the movie, it’s very good.”

Also, Gaikwad boasted that “police can arrest me ... my party, Uddhav saheb will take care of it”.

His remarks caused further embarrassment to the Shiv Sena, especially after he crowed that party chief Uddhav Thackeray would bail him out.

After airlines deny ticket, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad forced to travel by train | india-news | Hindustan Times (http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/after-airlines-deny-ticket-shiv-sena-mp-ravindra-gaikwad-forced-to-travel-by-train/story-6TXWdUgxVvD2n3Zk9dEDoK.html)

The train makes 11 stops (eight to pick up pax, three for directions :)):

12954/August Kranti Rajdhani Express - Hazrat Nizamuddin/NZM to Mumbai/BCT (http://indiarailinfo.com/train/-train-august-kranti-rajdhani-express-12954/94/748/297)

[Basil]

Just discussing this over dinner and three of us agreed that, in our passenger experience, there are a lot of self-entitled egocentric people (yes, even more than I am) in this World.

[parabellum]

So, it would appear that the 60 year old steward was, in fact, the airport manager for Air India. My own experience of Indian ways and means suggests that if the Indian political system decides they would be better off without this thug he won't fly again for a while and will first be forced into resignation, particularly if a court case goes against him. Many decisions are likely to be taken behind closed doors, such a political opportunity is not to be missed!

[Octane]

Earlier I posted the remark "Who the hell self respecting MP wears slippers anyway".
I apologize, it was unwarranted and insensitive to other peoples cultures. It was an ignorant thing to say..
My other observations/ experiences however stand... I'll never forget the complete disrespect given to the lady flight attendants on that flight... :-(

[JT8D-15A]

That video is not at all surprising. I have traveled to/from India a number of times on a US-based air carrier that at time made a stop in Europe. The cabin crew was made up of Indian nationals. I have witnessed Indian passengers yelling at the flight attendants and even throwing food onto their if they were displeased with something. We would show them some common courtesy and they couldn't do enough for us that would further infuriate the Indian passengers.

[rotornut]

Police are looking into it:
Police investigate Indian MP who beat airline employee - BBC News (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39377110)

If it happened here he would be charged with assault, s. 265 Criminal Code.

[meadowrun]

Quelle Prat.
I'll bet he thinks he's a movie star.
Seems like his political party is a piece of work as well.


"It was in such times that Bal Thackeray attracted the sentiments of the Marathi youth, and his cartoons were directed against the migrants to Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena did not begin as a political party as such, but as a group of Marathi chauvinist men who protested against any and all forms of non-Marathis settling down in the state. Such fascist attitudes soon began to get huge acceptance among people, especially the youth, and soon the Shiv Sena, otherwise branded as extremist, fascist, chauvinist, became a massive political organization. Their main demand was to favour the Maharashtrians over the migrant populations in the state. Soon, the Shiv Sena began spreading its regional exclusivity claims to include strong religious affiliations, and become intolerant of all religions apart from Hinduism. It allied with the BJP-led National Democratic Front, and began preaching for a country based on Hindu nationalism. It has been alleged that the Shiv Sena had a pivotal role to play in the various riots which took place in Maharashtra, such as the 1984 Bhiwandi riots, and the infamous 1992-93 Bombay riots."

[RAT 5]

If it happened here he would be charged with assault, s. 265 Criminal Code.

If it happened anywhere else the captain would have off-loaded him; and then the ban on further travel would have been imposed.

[DARK MATTER]

Air India cancels another flight booking (Wednesday) by the nefarious MP.

Air India cancels Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad?s Mumbai-Delhi flight ticket - Livemint (http://www.livemint.com/Politics/g9OcwlLvpi2lTI4qrRwh5J/Air-India-cancels-Sena-MP-Ravindra-Gaikwads-MumbaiDelhi-fl.html)

[G-CPTN]

Any chance that 'caste' had any bearing in the case?

I worked (in England) with two Indians who required deferential behaviour by a senior manager to his junior draughtsman - the SM would never sit in the presence of the (higher caste) - and much younger - minion.
Very strange to observe the draughtsman being summoned to the SM's office whereupon the SM would stand (and remain standing) throughout the conversation.

[compressor stall]

There was a local Indian paper saying that parliament was investigating whether the other airlines could enforce the no fly ban on the sandal wearing thug.

The article had the feeling of others looking after their own...

[pfvspnf]

Nothing is going to happen ! In fact his goons are going after the 60 year old man ! His Party has not even apologized , this scumbag is now on a train to Mumbai and is claiming of chest pains.

[ZFT]

Nothing trivial I hope

[rotornut]

AI revokes ban: Air India revokes ban on MP who beat employee - BBC News (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39525066)

[Octane]

So he wins... :-(

[rotornut]

Yes... Indian politics :(

[Piltdown Man]

This sort of thing also happens in the West. Every now and again :mad: such as this guy give our cabin crew the runaround, ask inappropriate questions (typically Tel Aviv pax) and ignore instructions from female colleagues. The look in their faces when you offload them is priceless. However, whilst I get no comeback whatsoever (you could try, but you would be sorry...) our C/A's have been criticised for being intolerant to people with different social norms. Erm...