As nation cries 'Shame Shame', Unrepentant Ravindra Gaikwad goes out for a movie

An unrepentant Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Friday said that he would not apologise to the Air India staffer whom he assaulted, and instead blamed the airline employee for the incident. The MP drew more flak on Friday, with Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju promising that action would be taken against him.

Gaikwad told reporters at the Maharashtra Sadan here on Friday morning that he has no regret over his actions, saying "kaahe ka pashchaataap (what is there to repent)? I will not apologise...he (AI Manager Sukumar) should come and apologise... then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave."

Gaikwad said he went out to watch a Bollywood movie — Badrinath ki Dulhaniya — on Thurs night to "relax" himself after journalists sought his reaction over the incident. "Tension-free hona chahiye na...you also watch the movie...it's very good," he said. The first-time lawmaker also said he had made the Parliament "proud", when asked if his act has brought shame to the temple of democracy.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, Shiv Sena workers in party MP Gaikwad's Osmanabad constituency, on Friday burnt an effigy of the AI staffer, who was assaulted by the leader, triggering a slew of protests. Osmanabad district and tehsil unit functionaries of the Sena gathered at Babasaheb Ambedkar statue at Tuljapur and burnt the effigy, district vice president of Sena, Kamlakar Chavan said.