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India Today
21-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
When Shinde Sena MLA spewed a ‘South' slur
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated July 28, 2025)Anti-South Indian politics was the very first drum roll with which the Shiv Sena arrived on the stage of modern Indian politics. It clearly still has some juice left, judging by the curious way it made a fresh entry into the headlines—as an afterthought to a thoughtless act tailor-made for endless TV. The protagonist was Sanjay Gaikwad, an Eknath Shinde Sena MLA whose nature, by all accounts, resembles a typical Mumbai weather report: torrential, always with chances of strong thunder. This particular downpour started after a video surfaced of Gaikwad, clad in a vest and a towel around his waist, punching a hapless staffer at the MLA hostel at Nariman HEADACHE FOR SHINDEIf anything, the issue has ended up becoming a blow to an already beleaguered Shinde, who finds himself increasingly cornered in the ruling Mahayuti alliance. The BJP is being adequately caustic about the deputy CM's inability to control his men, reviving the frequent characterisation of his Sena as a loose coalition of MLAs rather than a political party with a structure of command and internal checks and balances. The episode was shambolic enough to merit such a broad-brush taint. In the video, Gaikwad, a second-term MLA from Buldhana in Vidarbha, is seen forcing a hostel employee to sniff dal in a carrybag, before punching him. The staffer at the Akashwani MLA hostel, right opposite Mantralaya in south Mumbai, falls. Gaikwad claims his fists of fury were goaded by poor quality dal and stale food, alleging that the canteen management is a repeat offender. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later inspected the canteen and suspended its licence. Under fire for his lack of restraint, Gaikwad went on to burnish that point with a verbal volley on 'the attitude of people from the South'. The said community, he said, 'operated dance bars and ladies bars in Maharashtra' and 'ruined its culture and youth'. His pique apparently originates with the canteen contractor, said to be a Shetty from Karnataka. The recourse to nativist vocabulary was a transparent attempt to deflect focus from his own misdemeanour, and its effect is minimised by the fact that the speaker has earned some renown as an equal opportunity earlier, he had made disparaging remarks about Chhatrapati Sambhaji, for which he had to apologise. In May, Gaikwad lashed out at the Maharashtra police, calling it 'the most inefficient police department in India and the world', with a compulsive penchant for 'hafta (extortion)' to boot. That had made even CM Devendra Fadnavis see red. Last September, Gaikwad offered Rs 11 lakh to anyone who would 'chop off the tongue' of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He also claimed to have killed a tiger and worn its tooth as a pendant. When AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel criticised Gaikwad for his canteen exploits, he threatened to assault Jaleel is said to have upbraided Gaikwad. After three days of Opposition protests, Fadnavis stepped in and a suo moto non-cognisable case was filed by the Marine Drive police. But the man remains defiant for to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
India Today
18-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
When politics goes south
Anti-South Indian politics was the very first drum roll with which the Shiv Sena arrived on the stage of modern Indian politics. It clearly still has some juice left, judging by the curious way it made a fresh entry into the headlines—as an afterthought to a thoughtless act tailor-made for endless TV. The protagonist was Sanjay Gaikwad, an Eknath Shinde Sena MLA whose nature, by all accounts, resembles a typical Mumbai weather report: torrential, always with chances of strong thunder. This particular downpour started after a video surfaced of Gaikwad, clad in a vest and a towel around his waist, punching a hapless staffer at the MLA hostel at Nariman Point.
News18
16-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
FDA Revokes Ajanta Caterers' Licence Days After Sena MLA Gaikwad Assaulted Canteen Worker
Last Updated: The Maharashtra FDA has revoked the licence of Ajanta Caterers at the Akashwani MLA hostel canteen after Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad slapped a staffer over alleged stale food. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked the licence of Ajanta Caterers, managing the Akashwani MLA hostel canteen in south Mumbai, where Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad had slapped an employee. Gaikwad, who represents the Buldhana assembly constituency, was in the eye of a storm for slapping and punching the canteen staffer for serving him 'stale food". The incident happened on July 8, after the MLA alleged the food served to him was of poor quality, and that he would raise the issue during the ongoing session of the Maharashtra legislature, even as members of some Opposition parties criticised him for his behaviour. A video of the incident was widely shared on social media, showing Gaikwad berating the canteen operator, refusing to pay the bill, and slapping the staff member seated at the billing counter. The MLA was furious over the condition of the meal and told others not to pay for it either. In the midst of the altercation, he hit the canteen operator on his face, eyewitnesses claimed. '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 legislature session," Gaikwad, whose actions have earlier also invited criticism, told a regional news channel. In September 2024, Gaikwad said he will give Rs 11 lakh to anyone chopping off Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's tongue for his remarks on scrapping the reservation system. The Buldhana police later registered a case against the legislator. In April this year, Gaikwad made some objectionable remarks against police, but expressed regret after being rebuked by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who warned of action if the legislator doesn't mind his language in the future. Earlier, a video of Gaikwad thrashing a youth with a stick went viral in March last year, inviting sharp criticism from the opposition, which claimed the law and order situation was deteriorating in the state. Gaikwad later said he beat up the youth as the latter was part of an anti-social gang and had hit a policeman. view comments First Published: July 16, 2025, 08:04 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Slapgate: Cops file NC after CM contradicts min
Mumbai: Two days after a video of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad assaulting staffers at the Akashwani MLA hostel canteen in Colaba over "stale dal" went viral, Marine Drive police registered a non-cognisable offence against him on Friday. The NC was filed soon after CM Fadnavis contradicted minister of state for home Yogesh Kadam in an embarrassment of sorts for the state govt. While Kadam said police cannot act against Gaikwad as there is no complaint, the CM said cops should definitely probe the case and no one needs to file a complaint for that, report Mateen Hafeez & Chaitanya Marpakwar. A cop from Marine Drive police station filed the complaint. "We have registered a suo motu case against Gaikwad and one more person," an officer said. Police on Friday booked Buldhana MLA Sanjay Gaikwad and his aide, who was also seen in the video allegedly assaulting a canteen worker, under Sections 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 3(5) (common participation in a crime) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Minister Yogesh Kadam had said on Friday morning, "If there is a complaint then action can be taken. If there is no complaint, there is no question of action." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Hours later, CM Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, said if it is a cognizable offence, police will take action, adding that whether the offence is cognizable or non-cognizable depends on its nature and force of the assault. The incident took place on Tuesday evening after Gaikwad was allegedly served stale dal and rice in his room. In the video, Gaikwad, who was in a vest and towel, was seen hitting two canteen staffers after forcing them to smell the food. He was also seen punching one of the two staff members. The opposition has criticised the govt for not taking action against Gaikwad despite the assault video going viral. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule had demanded that an FIR be filed. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said, "This assault took place in the MLAs' hostel, so the assembly Speaker must also take action. Should all MLAs start beating up people like this and get away with it? The govt must answer this." Gaikwad has repeatedly justified his behaviour and said he would not apologise. He had said on Wednesday, "This contractor has been squatting here for 30 years. So when nothing else worked, I had to take things into my own hands. I'm an MLA and warrior. I'm a judo and karate champion, and a wrestling champion too. So I can use any means. When the administration doesn't work despite repeated reminders, what will people do? They will take law into their own hands. If an MLA complains and nothing is done, should I give up my life? I'm not such a big Gandhian. I have no regrets and I don't feel bad about this." The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday suspended the licence of the caterer who operates the MLA hostel canteen, citing 79 violations of food safety norms.
Scroll.in
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Mumbai Police register case against Shinde Sena MLA for assaulting canteen worker
The Mumbai Police on Friday registered a non-cognisable complaint against Shiv Sena legislator Sanjay Gaikwad for assaulting an employee of a canteen at the MLAs' hostel in Mumbai after claiming that he was served stale food, The Indian Express reported. A non-cognisable complaint means that the police cannot arrest Gaikwad without a warrant. The police also need permission from a court to start an investigation. A video of Gaikwad assaulting the canteen workers on Tuesday had been widely circulated on social media. In the video, the MLA, who represents Buldhana, was seen berating the operator of the canteen, refusing to pay the bill, and slapping and punching the staff member. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had called Gaikwad's actions 'unacceptable' and asked Legislative Council Chairperson Ram Shinde and Speaker Rahul Narwekar to take cognisance of the matter. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also said that he had reprimanded the MLA. On Friday, the Marine Drive Police Station filed a suo motu non-cognisable complaint against Gaikwad and his aide, who was also seen assaulting the canteen worker in the video, The Indian Express reported. An unidentified police officer told the newspaper that the complaint was filed under sections dealing with voluntarily causing hurt and insulting a person with the intent to provoke breach of peace, among others. The Shinde Sena MLA had told PTI on Wednesday that he did not regret his actions. 'People from all across the state come here, workers, officials everyone come here to have food,' he was quoted as saying. 'The quality of food should be good here as it is a government canteen.' Gaikwad added: 'I do not have any regret over what I did. I am a public someone fails to understand democratic language then I have to [use] this language only.' Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday issued a suspension notice to Ajanta Caterer, which was operating the canteen under the supervision of the Legislature Secretariat, after an inspection of its premises, The Indian Express reported. 'The licence granted to your establishment from 26-06-2024 to 27-09-2027 is being suspended with immediate effect,' the newspaper quoted the notice as saying. 'You or anyone on your behalf should not buy, sell or distribute food items. If found doing so, legal action will be taken as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.'
