Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad beats canteen worker for alleged poor food quality; watch video

Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad is seen beating a canteen worker for poor food quality in a video shared by Shiv Sena UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. The now viral video shows Gaikwad punching a man in the face while the other people look on silently.

"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.

In a post on X, UBT MP Chaturvedi wrote, "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".


Meanwhile, Gaikwad said that he has "no regrets" over the incident and he will "repeat it" if someone fails to understand the democratic language.

"People from all across the state come here, workers, officials, everyone come here to have food. The quality of food should be good here as it is a government canteen. I don't have any regret over what I did. I am a public representative," Gaikwad told PTI.

"When someone fails to understand democratic language then I have to use this language only. I didn't thrash him seeing whether he is Marathi or Hindi-speaking. I had complained to concerned authorities on several occasions. I will repeat it," he added.

This comes only months after the Buldhana MLA was involved in a controversy with remarks against the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.

Sanjay Gaikwad had stated, "The kind of statement made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has exposed the true face of the Congress. During the Lok Sabha elections, they sought votes by spreading lies that the Constitution was in danger, claiming the BJP would change it. Today (then in 2024), in America, he said that the reservation system established by Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar would be dismantled. These words have come from his mouth. Whoever cuts his tongue, I will give them Rs 11 lakh."

The remarks came after Rahul Gandhi's speech in the United States, where he said Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs lack adequate representation in the system, adding that India is not a "fair place."