Ravindra Gaikwad attends Lok Sabha proceedings

NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, accused of beating up an Air India employee, today attended the Lok Sabha proceedings for the first time after the incident last month.

As soon as the House met for the day, Shiv Sena leader Anandrao Adsul said the party has been cooperating on the issue since the controversy broke out. "He is present and will make a statement. Either you allow him (to speak) now or later today, he should be allowed (to speak)," he said.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said he can speak during Zero Hour but not during Question Hour.

Before Adsul spoke, Sena members raised slogans against Air India when Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju rose to reply a question in regional airports. "Goonda raj band karo...nyay karo, nyay karo (Stop bullying, do justice)" was among some of the slogans they raised.

Union minister Ananth Geete, who is also a Sena leader, urged the Speaker to allow Adsul to speak briefly.

Gaikwad, the Osmanabad MP, had last month abused and assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager of the national carrier with slippers for not being able to fly business class despite having boarded an all-economy Pune-New Delhi flight.