• Source:JND
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has strongly criticised the actions of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, who was caught on camera slapping a canteen staffer at the MLA hostel in Mumbai. Addressing the state Assembly on Wednesday, Fadnavis said, "Such conduct does not send the right message." He expressed concern that such behaviour tarnishes the image of the state legislature and its members. "Such conduct does not behove anyone. It impacts the image of the state legislature, and as an MLA," he said.

Fadnavis also stated that if there are complaints about food quality, proper procedures must be followed. "A wrong message goes among people about all MLAs that there is misuse of power," he added. The deputy CM urged the House to take the matter seriously. "I request you (council chairman Ram Shinde) to look into the issue of MLA accommodation. If there are issues there, then action can be taken. But assault by public representatives does not send out a right message. This is a serious issue. You (Shinde) and Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) take cognisance of it to take further action accordingly," he said. 

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What Happened?

The controversy erupted after Sanjay Gaikwad of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena was filmed slapping a canteen employee at the Akashvani MLA hostel. According to reports, the Buldhana MLA was angered by being served stale dal and rice late Tuesday night. In the viral video, Gaikwad is seen yelling at the canteen staff, refusing to pay his bill, and eventually slapping a man at the billing counter after making him smell the allegedly spoiled food.

Despite the backlash, Gaikwad defended his actions. He said he had earlier raised concerns about the food quality multiple times. "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," he told reporters. In a statement to PTI, he added, "When someone fails to understand democratic language, then I have to (use) this language only," and expressed no remorse for his behaviour.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi condemned Gaikwad’s behaviour, saying, "If he did not like that food, then it is well within his power and rights to follow legal procedure. However, he chose to beat that poor man... it is extremely shameful."

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Congress MLA Dr Jyoti Eknath Gaikwad also denounced the act, emphasising that physical violence was not the answer. "He (Sanjay Gaikwad) is a representative of the people. If he acts this way, then what will the people do... Beating anyone is not a solution," she said. "It is the right of every citizen to get good food, but the canteen staff should not have been beaten... he should have been questioned according to the rules," she added.