Gaikwad ordered dinner from the canteen at the MLA hostel on Tuesday night. He found the dal and rice delivered in his room to be stale and foul-smelling. Angered by this, the Shiv Sena leader stormed into the canteen and confronted the manager
Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. File Pic
The MLA of Shiv Sena, Sanjay Gaikwad, is alleged to have slapped a canteen employee at the MLA's hostel in Mumbai following a complaint about the food being stale. Subsequent to the incident on Tuesday evening, the Buldhana MLA expressed that the food provided was of substandard quality and announced his intention to raise this matter during the current monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature.
A video capturing the incident, which occurred at the Akashvani MLA hostel, has circulated widely on social media platforms, reported news agency PTI.
In the footage, Gaikwad is observed chastising the canteen operator, declining to settle the bill, and physically assaulting the staff member present at the billing counter.
"I had previously lodged complaints regarding the poor quality of food two or three times. On this occasion, the food was entirely unacceptable. I intend to address this issue in the ongoing legislative session," Gaikwad conveyed to a regional news channel, reported news agency PTI.
Gaikwad ordered dinner from the canteen at the MLA hostel on Tuesday night. He found the dal and rice delivered in his room to be stale and foul-smelling, according to PTI sources.
Angered by this, the Shiv Sena leader stormed into the canteen and confronted the manager, as per the PTI sources.
The MLA was furious over the condition of the meal and told others not to pay for it either. In the midst of the altercation, he hit the canteen operator on his face, eyewitnesses claimed, according to news agency PTI.
In September last year, Gaikwad made controversial remarks saying he would give Rs 11 lakh to anyone chopping off Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's tongue for his remarks on scrapping the reservation system.
The Buldhana police later registered a case against him.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the incident of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad slapping an employee of a canteen at the MLAs' hostel in Mumbai sends out a wrong message about all legislators that they indulge in misuse of power.
The issue was raised in the legislative council by Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Anil Parab, who accused the ruling party MLA of being high on power, and said such incidents also damage the image of CM Fadnavis.
"Such conduct does not behove anyone. It impacts the image of the state legislature and as an MLA," Fadnavis said in the House, reported news agency PTI.
If there are any issues regarding the food at the canteen, one can formally complain about it and action can be taken on this, the CM said.
"A wrong message goes among people about all MLAs that there is misuse of power," Fadnavis said.
"I request you (council chairman Ram Shinde) to look into the issue of MLA accommodation. If there are issues there, then action can be taken. But assault by public representatives does not send out the right message. This is a serious issue. You (Shinde) and Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) take cognisance of it to take further action accordingly," Fadnavis said, reported news agency PTI.
(With PTI inputs)
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