Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad slaps canteen staffer in Mumbai over stale food

Mumbai: Ruling Shiv Sena's legislator Sanjay Gaikwad allegedly slapped an employee of a canteen at the MLAs' hostel in Mumbai after complaining about being served stale food.

After the incident on Tuesday night, the Buldhana MLA said the food served to him was of poor quality and he will raise the issue during the ongoing session of the Maharashtra legislature, even as members of some opposition parties criticised him for his behaviour.

A video of the incident, which took place at the Akashvani MLA hostel, has gone viral on social media platforms.

In the video, Gaikwad is seen berating the canteen operator, refusing to pay the bill, and slapping the staff member seated at the billing counter.

"I had complained about the poor quality of food two or three times earlier. This time the food was absolutely unacceptable. I will raise this issue in the ongoing legislature session," Gaikwad, whose actions have earlier also invited criticism, told a regional news channel.

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 sources.

Angered by this, the leader, belonging to the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, stormed into the canteen and confronted the manager, they said.

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.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised Gaikwad for his behaviour.

"Meet Shah Sena’s MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. Last year he had threatened&announced 11 lakh rupees to anyone who cuts off Sh. Rahul Gandhi’s tongue. Now the man is seen beating up a poor helpless canteen worker. But wait no news TV outrage here since its a BJP ally," Chaturvedi said in a post on X.

In September 2024, Gaikwad said he will 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 the legislator.

In April this year, Gaikwad made some objectionable remarks on police, but expressed after being rebuked by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who warned of action if the legislator doesn’t mind his language in future.

Earlier, a video of Gaikwad thrashing a youth with a stick went viral in March last year, inviting sharp criticism from the opposition which claimed the law and order situation was deteriorating in the state.

Gaikwad later said he beat up the youth as the latter was part of an anti-social gang and had hit a policeman.