Day After Sena MLA Assaults Staffer, Maharashtra Cancels Canteen's Licence

Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad claimed the food was stale and ignored repeated complaints. The incident drew criticism from the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, who expressed displeasure.

Following Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad's assault on canteen staff over poor food quality, the Akashvani MLA Residence canteen's license was revoked by the FDA.

Source : ANI

The license of the canteen where Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad was involved in an assault has been revoked. The Akashvani MLA Residence canteen, operated by a company named Ajanta Caterers, lost its license following an action by Maharashtra’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).

On Wednesday (July 9), the FDA collected food samples from the canteen for testing. A video of Buldhana MLA Gaikwad assaulting staff went viral on social media. Responding to the video, Gaikwad claimed the food served was stale and that repeated complaints were ignored.

Food Quality Extremely Poor: MLA

Currently, the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature is underway in Mumbai. During this time, Shiv Sena MLA Gaikwad has been staying at the Akashvani MLA Hostel in Churchgate. On Tuesday (July 8), he ordered food and said the quality was extremely poor.

A video of the incident where he assaulted a staff member went viral on social media. He claimed that the quality of the food, particularly the dal (lentils), was poor and made him unwell.  

He further alleged that despite repeated warnings, the contractor failed to improve the quality of the meals. 

When questioned by the media about whether he would apologise for his actions, Gaikwad replied, “I will meet the CM and Deputy CM to resolve their displeasure.” Earlier, he had said he had no regrets about his conduct.

CM, Deputy CM Express Displeasure

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Eknath Shinde have expressed displeasure over Gaikwad’s behaviour. CM Fadnavis remarked that Gaikwad’s actions have tarnished the reputation of all legislators.

The issue was also raised in the Legislative Council, where an MLA from the Uddhav Thackeray faction said such incidents damage the Chief Minister’s image. Asked about Gaikwad’s behaviour, Uddhav Thackeray questioned, “Is this an attempt to defame the Chief Minister? They should be cautious.”