Air India is standing firm against a lawmaker it banned for beating one of its employees, despite his efforts to overturn the block.

Ravindra Gaikwad, from the Hindu hard-line Shiv Sena party, tried to book tickets again on Friday but they were immediately cancelled, Air India said.

The action came despite Mr Gaikwad writing to the civil aviation minister to express "regret" over the incident.

He has, however, refused to apologise to Air India, saying he was "provoked".

The row has made headlines around India and on social media. Most people have sided with the airline and expressed shock at the MP's behaviour.

Mr Gaikwad is reported to have tried to buy tickets several times since the incident occurred, without success.

According to Indian media, the Air India chief told the aviation minister that the ban would continue until Mr Gaikwad apologised to airline staff.

Parliament stand-off

The row erupted in March when Mr Gaikwad admitting hitting a 60-year-old Air India employee "25 times with my sandal" for "arrogance" after failing to get a business class seat on an all-economy flight.

The altercation happened when the duty manager was called after the plane landed in Delhi and the MP refused to get off.

He was subsequently banned by Air India and several other domestic airlines. A pilot federation has also refused to fly any plane on which he is a passenger.

The ban was the cause of chaotic scenes in parliament on Thursday as MPs from the Shiv Sena party engaged in a stand-off with Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who refused to rescind the ban until Mr Gaikwad apologised.

Mr Raju had to be escorted into his chambers when a furious Shiv Sena member charged at him and thumped on his desk in anger.

The party then threatened to disrupt Air India operations in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, leading the airline to hire extra security in the state's two main airports, Mumbai and Pune.

Both the Shiv Sena party and Mr Raju's party, the Telugu Desam Party, are alliance partners of the Indian government, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.

The government has been trying to act as a mediator in the incident, but both parties are standing firm.

The Shiv Sena party is a junior coalition partner in the Maharashtra state government, which is ruled by India's governing BJP.

Over time, it has acquired a reputation for promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism, and has resorted to physical attacks against those its members and supporters oppose.