Preferential treatment to UP’s BJP MP in Sadan makes Sena MPs angry

NEW DELHI: The incident of Shiv Sena employees force-feeding a fasting Muslim in Maharashtra Sadan can be traced back to a few more controversies that had led the Shiv Sena to complain to Sadan officials twice before the incident occurred, mainly about poor service in the Sadan and preferential treatment meted to officials from other States, especially Uttar Pradesh.

The incident was triggered a few days ago when Satyapal Singh, an MP from Baghpat and former Mumbai police commissioner, and a few other officials from Uttar Pradesh were allotted a ministerial suite, said workers at the sadan. “They gave him the best suite in the sadan but Maharashtra MPs were asked to pay Rs 6,000 if they wanted to stay with their families here. Also, the service by IRCTC people was so poor that we have been complaining for over two months now,” said Arvind Sawant, an MP from Mumbai South who was at the Sadan on Wednesday.

The complaints included lack of drinking water in rooms, unclean bathrooms, no separate area for MPs dining, unavailability of Maharashtrian food and delayed service in the canteen. He added that officials at the Sadan had not taken any step to improve the condition and had repeatedly ignored their complaints and requests for meetings. The first complaint was filed by last month by Shivaji Adhalrao Patil, an MP from Shirur, said sources.

IRCTC, the Indian Railways subsidiary that was catering for the Sadan, has stopped all operations and had complained to resident commissioner Bipin Mallick about the incident. Arshad too had written a letter to the resident commissioner of the sadan and IRCTC chairman complaining about the incident. Everybody in the panel of MPs who barged into the kitchen to complain about food knew his name, he wrote in his complaint. “Also, I was wearing my uniform with my nametag. Even then they forced the roti into my mouth, causing me to break the fast,” his letter said.

Sawant, however said, the incident has been blown out of proportion. “We just wanted to make the caterers realise how bad the food was. We didn’t know he was Muslim.” Incidentally, the MPs had also complained about unavailability of food for fasts in the canteen. “We had requested them to make khichdi for fasting MPs last month but they refused,” said Sawant.