A video has gone viral showing Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, upset over the quality of food served to him, thrashing a canteen contractor at the Akashwani MLA residence in Mumbai. It comes amid a string of controversial videos showing the highhandedness of politicians emerging in Maharashtra.
Gaikwad, a two-term legislator from Buldana, was staying at the Akashwani MLA residence, a government-allotted accommodation for legislators.
Sources said the MLA, from the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, had ordered food from the canteen located on the ground floor.
Gaikwad claimed that the food - especially the daal - was of poor quality, and he felt unwell shortly after eating.
The video shows Gaikwad, wearing a vest and a towel wrapped around his waist, confronting the canteen contractor. He then makes the contractor smell the packet containing the daal.
Seconds later, a punch from the MLA lands on his face. The impact was so hard that the contractor fell on the floor. As the contractor gets up, the MLA again slaps him.
As the video went viral, the Buldhana MLA said the food served to him was of poor quality, and he would raise the issue during the Assembly session.
"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 legislative session," PTI quoted Gaikwad as saying.
The Sena MLA, however, is no stranger to controversy. Last year, he stirred controversy after saying that he would give Rs 11 lakh to anyone who chops off Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's tongue. A case was registered against him.
In the past, he has made headlines for making derogatory remarks against Uddhav Thackeray and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.
Hitting out at the Shiv Sena over the incident, Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted, "Meet Shah Sena's MLA Sanjay Gaikwad... The man is seen beating up a poor, helpless canteen worker. But wait, no news TV outrage here since it's a BJP ally."
Source: India Today