Should Action Be Taken Against MLA Sanjay Gaikwad for Assaulting Canteen Staff?

Mumbai, July 9 (NationPress) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated on Wednesday that it is the responsibility of the Chairman of the Legislative Council and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly to determine the course of action against Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, who reportedly assaulted a canteen staff member at the MLA hostel. In the Legislative Council, CM Fadnavis criticized Gaikwad's actions, claiming that his conduct was unbecoming and detrimental to the reputation of the Legislature.

The issue was raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab, who expressed outrage over the incident. "A senior MLA comes in a vest and towel and physically assaults an employee. Are there any guidelines regarding the behavior of legislators? Are these individuals coming straight from the streets? What was the fault of that employee? This is damaging the image of your government," Parab remarked.

He questioned what actions would be taken, asking, "Will you continue to support people like this and govern with their backing?" Parab urged the Chief Minister, saying, "The MLA hostel is under the jurisdiction of the Legislature. If I were to assault someone here, I would face suspension. You need to send a clear message to the public by suspending this Legislator."

CM Fadnavis responded that if food quality was an issue, MLAs could voice their complaints. "But physically assaulting workers and having it filmed harms our image. This reflects poorly on you as an MLA. The Chairman and the Assembly Speaker must take this matter seriously and decide on appropriate actions," he added.

Earlier, a video surfaced showing Gaikwad allegedly attacking canteen staff over the quality of food served at the MLA hostel in South Mumbai. The MLA from Buldhana District faced backlash on social media for his actions amidst the ongoing Monsoon Session of the state Legislature.

Witnesses claimed that Gaikwad had ordered food that he later deemed stale and foul-smelling. He confronted the canteen staff, demanding that no one pay for the meal, and allegedly assaulted the canteen operator while his supporters attempted to intervene.

He also instructed his supporters to collect food samples for inspection by the Food and Drug Administration, stating he would address the issue of poor food quality in the Assembly.

Gaikwad has garnered negative attention recently. Following a joint rally by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray protesting the imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra schools, he made a controversial remark implying disrespect towards historical figures Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

He also infamously offered a reward for anyone who would "chop off the tongue" of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a recent statement about the proposed scrapping of quotas.