Amidst the ongoing battle between Shiv Sena MP (Member of Parliament)Ravindra Gaikwad and Air India, Bharatiya Janata Party's Latur MP Sunil Gaikwad is facing hardship due to his surname.
The Latur MP has complained of being looked at suspicion, denied business class in flights during his last two flights as he shares the same surname with the Shiv Sena MP who is mired in controversy, reported The Economic Times.
In an unprecedented step in Indian aviation history, Ravindra Gaikwad was earlier barred from flying by all major domestic airlines for assaulting an elderly Air India employee last Thursday.
The MP was angry at not being given a business class seat though he had boarded an-economy flight.
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Expressing his concern, Sunil Gaikwad has said that he is paying the price for the incident, to which he is no where connected.
He has even brought the matter to the notice of minister of state for civil aviation, Jayant Sinha, who is also not happy with the treatment given to the Latur MP, the report adds.
“I was made to feel as if being a Gaikwad is a crime. I was disturbed by the behaviour of the private security and the CISF personnel at the airport security gate,“ said Sunil Gaikwad to TOI.
Barred from flying by domestic airlines and booked by police for assaulting an Air India staffer, Ravindra Gaikwad has tried at least thrice to book a seat on the national carrier, using a new alias each time.
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Earlier this week, a staff member of the Sena politician dialled Air India's call centre to book flight AI 806 from Mumbai to Delhi for the following day, i.e. Wednesday, and dictated the passenger's name as Ravindra Gaikwad. The ticket was promptly cancelled, an airline source said.
(With inputs from PTI)
