Mumbai, July 9 Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad has triggered widespread political outrage after a video surfaced showing him physically assaulting a canteen worker at the state-run Akashvani MLA Guest House in Mumbai.
The incident, which occurred during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Assembly, has gone viral on social media, with leaders across party lines condemning the act and calling it a brazen display of power and privilege.
The video shows Gaikwad slapping and punching the staffer over what he claimed was "stale food." Despite mounting criticism, Gaikwad remained unapologetic and attempted to justify his actions.
Dismissing the backlash, he told IANS, "I did not do anything wrong. I don't care what people say."
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed Gaikwad, calling his actions a symptom of arrogance. "The way he raised his hand on a poor canteen worker just because the food wasn't to his liking shows how deeply intoxicated on power he is," she told IANS.
"This is the same Gaikwad who had once made remarks about cutting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's tongue. One can understand the mentality of a leader who makes such statements against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Even then, no action was taken against Gaikwad; no one demanded his resignation," she added.
Congress leader Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar also criticised Gaikwad, saying, "The real issue is what happened yesterday at the MLA hostel regarding food. Many people have complained that proper meals are not being served. However, taking the law into one's hands is wrong. To resolve the issue, the committee chairman himself went and assaulted someone -- this amounts to taking the law into one's own hands and misusing power."
Congress state chief Nana Patole also slammed Gaikwad and questioned why he did not take a legal approach against the canteen worker and chose to assault him instead.
"These people are high on power, and that is why they go on assaulting the poor. They already have the law on their side, so what's the need to take the law into their own hands? That poor man survives on daily labour, feeding himself and his family. Who gave them the right to beat him? These people are trying to bring in violent laws in Maharashtra, which will not be good for the state," Patole told reporters.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sachin Ahir added a sarcastic note, saying, "It's unfortunate, the issue is right but the method is wrong. I will request the state government to make him the brand ambassador for boxing and wrestling and send him to the ring with a new dress code."
In contrast, leaders from Gaikwad's own Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) came to his defence, characterising the MLA as a "sensitive" individual.
Speaking to IANS, Minister Shambhuraj Desai said, "I will talk to him to understand why he got so angry that it even led to a physical altercation. We will discuss this together, and if necessary, we will also speak with the Chief Minister."
Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande also backed Gaikwad and told IANS, "Sanjay Gaikwad is a very sensitive MLA, and he has a habit of reacting strongly over what he believes. He has a temperament that he could avoid, but the main issue is that if the contractor is providing substandard food, it must be investigated."
Speaking to IANS, BJP MLA Ram Kadam added, "Violence can never be justified by anyone, especially not by a public representative, and I acknowledge that. However, if the food being provided is of extremely poor quality, that, too, cannot be justified or supported."
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