Uddhav Thackeray questions Shiv Sena MLA slapgate: ‘Attempt to malign Maharashtra CM Fadnavis?'
'Is this an attempt to malign the chief minister? He should be cautious,' Uddhav Thackeray told reporters after the incident came to light.
The incident involved Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad slapping a staff member of a hostel canteen for MLAs for allegedly serving stale food.
A video which has gone viral shows Gaikwad repeatedly slapping the staff member at the billing counter of the Akashvani MLA hostel and refusing to pay the bill.
Following the incident, Gaikwad has remained defiant about his behaviour, saying he has no regrets. He said that this was his 'natural reaction," adding, 'If someone does not understand Hindi, or Marathi, or English, then this is how we do it."
Recounting the incident, he said that he had ordered 'dal, roti and rice' on Tuesday night. 'I mixed the dal and rice but the very first morsel tasted odd. I took another and that made me vomit,' he said.
He further claimed that he can 'tell within a minute just by smelling it' if the food served is stale.
Gaikwad then went to the canteen and confronted the manager, who he said 'could not explain himself'. Following this, the Sena MLA punched and slapped the staff member, also shoving others there.
Such conduct sends the wrong message: CM Fadnavis
Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that such behaviour does not send the right message.
'Such conduct does not behove anyone. It impacts the image of the state legislature, and as an MLA,' Fadnavis said.
"A wrong message goes among people about all MLAs that there is misuse of power," he further added.
Fadnavis also appealed to the Maharashtra Legislative Council chairman Ram Shinde to look into the matter of the MLAs' accomodation and initiate action if necessary.
'But assault by public representatives does not send out a right message. This is serious issue,' the CM said
Fadnavis also urged Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to take cognisance of the slapping incident and 'take further action accordingly'.
With PTI inputs
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