A controversy erupted on Thursday after a Shiv Sena MP admitted to beating an Air India flight attendant with a slipper following an argument over being moved to economy from business class.
"He was arrogant," Ravindra Gaikwad later told reporters, expressing no regret. "I hit him 25 times with my sandal."
The incident took place on Thursday morning after the Air India flight from Pune landed in Delhi at around 10.30am. Gaikwad refused to get off the plane as he was forced to travel economy despite carrying a business class ticket and did not accept the airline's explanation that there were only economy seats on the flight.
Gaikwad claimed an airline employee tried to make him exit the plane and told him not to give him "BP" (blood pressure).
WATCH: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad admits that he beat an Air India staff member with slippers,remains defiant pic.twitter.com/1ws5nYptkn— ANI (@ANI_news) March 23, 2017
"I said I am an MP, don't raise your voice. He said 'what MP? I will talk to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi', so I hit him. I am not here to take abuse...I am not from the BJP," the MP said.
The Air India steward has alleged that he was "humiliated in front of the entire crew and his spectacles were broken".
The Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from the MP on the issue. "The Sena does not condone violence of any kind," Harshal Pradhan, media adviser to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
His high-handedness drew flak online including from a leader of ally BJP.
"Elected representatives need to respect people who are doing their job, irrespective of whether the Air India man was rude," said Shaina NC, BJP leader Shaina NC.
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Thursday said that no political party will encourage such an act.
"It is a question of human behaviour. Any citizen hitting an airline staffer doesn't make any sense. If there is anything, it can always be taken up. No citizen will behave like this," Raju told news agency ANI.
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