"DGCA has given the right to airlines to ban a passenger from flying if caught in a violent act. We cannot compromise the safety of passengers," Raju said in the Lok Sabha on Monday after Shiv Sena MP Anand Rao Adsul raised the issue in the House.
In his reply to Adsul, Raju said that he did not, "even in my wildest dreams expect a member of Parliament to be caught in a violent act." He also added that an MP is also a passenger and that, "We cannot have an unequal importance given to an MP."
Adsul in the Lok Sabha said it was not right to impose a flight ban on an MP when there was no such thing against popular TV host Kapil Sharma who reportedly created a ruckus on a flight from Sydney to Delhi.
The Sena MP got support from Renuka Chaudhury of the Congress and Naresh Aggarwal of the Samajwadi Party who demanded Raju’s resignation for backing a ban on a member of Parliament.
Ravindra Gaikwad may move a privilege motion in Parliament against airlines after most private carriers blacklisted him by putting his name on a ‘no fly’ list in support of Air India.
A privilege motion is a notice by an MP against someone accused of breach of Parliamentary privileges, the rights and immunities which MPs enjoy. A privilege motion is granted precedence over ordinary business because it concerns matters of great importance or urgency.
Air India and other domestic airlines have blacklisted Gaikwad, forcing him to travel by train. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), with Jet Airways, IndiGo, GoAir and Spicejet as members, has taken a "strong view of the incident" and decided to bar Gaikwad from flying.
Shaina NC of the BJP said the government would take action against Gaikwad. “We have registered two cases, one for assault and another for flight take off delay. I am sure some action will be taken soon," she said. “Shutting down shops is not a good idea. Even being an MP doesn’t give right to anyone to misbehave," she added.
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