Congress bullies shut down Mumbai eatery

Youth Congress workers forced a Mumbai restaurant to down shutters on Monday after they found its cash memos too cheeky for their taste.

Youth Congress workers forced a Mumbai restaurant to down shutters on Monday after they found its cash memos too cheeky for their taste.

HT Image

A footnote on bills issued by Aditi restaurant in Parel read: “As per UPA eating money (2G, Coal, CWG scam) is a necessity and eating food in a A/c restaurant is a luxury.”

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi termed the incident “Height of intolerance” on Twitter.

Though the eatery opened on Tuesday, the bills came minus the one-liner.

City Youth Congress president Ganesh Kumar, who led Monday’s protest, told HT, “We did not ransack or vandalise the restaurant. We protested outside it and then registered a police complaint against the owner for defamation.”

Restaurant owner Srinivas Shetty refused to comment on the issue. The one-liner on the memos was seen as a mark of protest against the Centre’s decision to impose service tax on taxable services provided in air-conditioned restaurants with effect from April 1.

BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said that the restaurant had been issuing the bill with the comment since March and the Youth Congress action came only after someone posted a photo of the bill online. When contacted, a restaurant staffer said, “Some people objected to a note printed on the bill, so we have decided to delete it. The restaurant owner is out of the city and further course of action will be decided once he is back.”

The Bhoiwada police registered a non-cognisable offence against Shetty under section 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) of the Indian Penal Code.

“Around 10 people (from the Congress) who resorted to sloganeering at the hotel have been booked for assembly without permission under the Bombay Police Act,” said Praveen Salunke, additional commissioner of police (central region). “The owner apologised, after which the hotel remained open.”