Uddhav Thackeray has chance to redeem Shiv Sena’s image by expelling Ravindra Gaikwad

Even by the low standards that we hold for modern-day Indian politicians, Ravindra Gaikwad’s (lovingly called Ravi sir) vicious attack on an elderly Air India staffer has caused a major stink. Angry at being forced to fly economy class, the hot-headed Shiv Sena MP from Osmanabad first assaulted the Air India staffer with his staffers and then went from channel to channel bragging about it. Absolutely unrepentant about his act, he proudly claimed that he hit the staffer 25 times and that he was from "Shiv Sena, not BJP".  

He told PTI: "I first asked him to lower his voice as his blood pressure would shoot up. He then said he would complain to Modi. Then I slapped him. I hit him 25 times with my sandal. I am Shiv Sena MP, not of BJP, to tolerate abuses.”  An unrepentant Gaikwad added that he went to watch Badrinath Ki Dulhania later in the day. He dared the police to arrest him, claiming 'Uddhav Saheb' will take care of it. 

An unedited video of the incident shows that he almost threw the Air India officer off the plane’s tarmac, and had to be physically restrained from doing so as one lady admonished him, reminding him that he was an ‘elected official’ and a ‘role model’. 

WATCH: Unedited footage of Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad roughing up Air India staff (NOTE: STRONG LANGUAGE) pic.twitter.com/idFr8MpUTo — ANI (@ANI_news) March 23, 2017

Even a day later, the MP from Osmanabad remained unashamed, writing to the Civil Aviation ministry about ‘bad service’ while failing to understand that no amount of bad service allows an individual to assault the service provider. In fact, he could very well be charged under Section 353 in the Indian Penal Code since Air India is a Public Sector Undertaking, which means that Gaikwad could spend up to two years in jail for assaulting a public official.

Disappointingly, the Shiv Sena on the face of it, made all the wrong noises about the incident. Spokesperson Manisha Kayande, instead of condemning the incident, said on Thursday: "We must agree that he has accepted to his action or reaction," she said. "Gaikwad is known as 'Ravi Sir' and is very popular in his constituency. He has worked a lot towards solving the water problems of his region. We really should know what made him lose his temper. He is not a person who would suddenly jump into such a thing.”

Last time we checked, being popular hardly justifies any violence, and solving the ‘water problem’ of his constituency is his job. Nor does the ‘not jump into such a thing’ argument hold weight, given that Gaikwad has a history of being on the wrong side of the law.

A former teacher, he has brawled with BJP leaders in the past and hit his students. In 2014, he was in the eye of the storm for trying to force-feed a Muslim caterer during Ramzan because the quality of chapatis was not up to his high standards in the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi.

Gaikwad has quite a rap-sheet, with criminal charges against him including voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servants from duty, criminal intimidation and rioting.

However, the Sena seemed to realise that they have a PR nightmare in the making. Uddhav Thackeray’s media adviser Harshal Pradhan told PTI: “The party has sought an explanation from Gaikwad over the incident. The Sena does not condone violence of any kind.”

They say every problem is an opportunity, and for the Thackerays, the Ravindra Gaikwad incident could be used to send a strong message that the new Sena has no place for thugs.

For the last few years, Aaditya Thackeray has emerged as a sane and urbane face of the Shiv Sena. The 26-year-old’s Twitter timeline is littered with examples of how he is promoting activities that would connect with a younger populace. Whether it’s promoting Indian football (he’s the chairman of the Mumbai district football association), talking up newly-arrived penguins at the Byculla Zoo or promoting self-defence classes with Akshay Kumar, Aaditya has emerged as a youngster whose voice is taken seriously.

He was one of the major campaigners of the party in the recent Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and the suggestion was that it was the sign of a generational shift in the saffron party. A key member of the Sena’s core team, he got the party to ditch its anti-Valentine’s Day agenda, realising that beating up couples is no longer a viable political narrative, at least in Mumbai in 2017.

Both Aaditya and Uddhav have a more moderate image compared to Raj Thackeray, and that the electorate will not vote just for violence is evidenced by the fact that the MNS is sinking without a trace.

The reaction of the high command will tell us whether Sena’s attempt to turn a new leaf is real or just a political gimmick. In March, the Sena expelled an office bearer of the party’s youth wing for thrashing a vendor for refusing to give him free vada pavs. Similarly, they suspended their party members in Kerala for harassing couples in Kochi on Women’s Day. After the incident, Aaditya Thackeray had tweeted: “The incident in Kochi, Kerala, is shameful and unnecessary. The party will not shield or endorse such acts. The said persons involved in the act in Kochi have been immediately suspended from the party’s membership indefinitely.”

How Ravindra Gaikwad is treated will be a litmus test for the Sena's acceptance of violence. Are only rank-and-file members going to be punished or will an MP be also held up to same moral probity? By expelling Ravindra Gaikwad, the Sena can send a strong message that it will not stand for unruly behaviour and meaningless violence among their ranks. 

After all their saffron frenemies, the BJP, have done that to a certain extent in some places, where their feisty vigilantism while in the opposition has been replaced by an able administration and calmer heads.

It has made BJP a face to reckon with in the state, as demonstrated by the civic polls where the party stormed Maharashtra and ran Sena very close in Mumbai as well. Now, at a time when an irate Devendra Fadnavis could call polls any time, given the constant bickering between the allies, the Thackerays would do well to send a message to the electorate that the thuggish minister will not be allowed to exist in a moderate Sena. It will be a message that will be welcome. The ball is firmly in Uddhav Thackeray's court and how he chooses to play it could decide how the urban populace views the Sena.