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Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad stirs fresh row after slapgate: ‘South Indians run dance bars’
Sanjay Gaikwad remained unapologetic about his action and warned that he would hesitate to hit someone again if such acts are repeated.
Just a day after sparking outrage over a viral video of him slapping a canteen employee in Mumbai, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad has once again stirred a fresh row. This time, by making derogatory remarks about South Indians.
He claimed that food contracts should not be given to South Indians as they run "dance bars and ladies bars", and they don't know how to serve good food.
"Why was a contractor named Shetty given the contract? Give it to a Marathi person. They know what we eat and will give us good quality food. South Indians run dance bars, ladies bars, and spoil Maharashtra's culture. They have corrupted our children. How will they serve good food?" the Eknath Shinde-led party's legislator said while speaking to India Today TV.
ALSO READ | Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad slaps canteen staff in Mumbai over stale food, ‘no regrets’ | Watch
Earlier on Wednesday, a video of the Buldhana MLA abusing and slapping a canteen operator went viral on social media, drawing the ire of several leaders, including Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
At Mumbai's Akashvani hostel, meant for MLAs, Gaikwad was seen making everyone smell a packet of dal in an infuriated state. Eventually, he makes the contractor also smell the packet and then goes on to slap and punch him.
Later, while speaking to news agency PTI, the Sena MLA expressed no regret over the incident and said that if someone doesn't understand democratic language, then he has to use this kind of language.
CM Fadnavis condemned Gaikwad's action and said that it does not send the right message. He said that if there is any issue regarding the food, a formal complaint is the way to go.
ALSO READ | After MLA attacks canteen manager over ‘stale’ daal, contractor’s licence suspended
Deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena supremo Eknath Shinde also said he reprimanded Gaikwad over his behaviour. "I told him he should have resorted to league measures, like lodging a complaint. What he did was wrong. I cannot be justified, even though he was expressing anguish over the poor quality of food in the MLA canteen, Shinde said.
After the whole controversy at the Akashvani hostel, a team from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) visited the canteen on Wednesday to inspect the quality of food offered there, and by the end of the day, suspended the license of the contractor in charge of running the canteen.
ALSO READ | 'I am a warrior': Sanjay Gaikwad explains why he hit canteen staff over food quality
The FDA team found that the food was being cooked in unhygienic conditions, which was only one of the 79 reasons for suspending the license.
Even after all this, Gaikwad continued to remain unapologetic about his action and warned that he would not hesitate to repeat it. "The manager and the license have been suspended. I did not hit the waiter. I hit the manager. My method may have been wrong, but the goal was right. I will hit again if someone repeats such an act. The administration engages in give-and-take, which causes delays in action. Why was a contractor named Shetty given the contract? Give it to a Marathi person instead," the MLA reiterated.
