A Maharashtra legislator is facing intense backlash after a video surfaced showing him violently attacking a canteen employee at the MLA hostel in Mumbai. The legislator, Sanjay Gaikwad from Buldhana, was caught on camera slapping and punching the worker over allegedly stale food — an act he proudly labeled as the “Shiv Sena style.”

Wearing only a vest and a towel, Gaikwad barged into the canteen late Tuesday night after claiming that a thali he ordered — consisting of dal, rice, and chapati — made him vomit. He allegedly found the dal foul-smelling and accused the canteen of repeatedly serving substandard meals. The furious MLA demanded that the staff smell the dal and, moments later, launched a physical assault on one of them. The staffer, identified as Yogesh Kutran, was punched so hard he fell to the ground.

“I Haven’t Done Anything Wrong”: MLA Shows no Regrets Over the Incident

Gaikwad, part of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, admitted to the incident and showed no remorse. “I am an MLA and a warrior too… I am not a Gandhian. I have no regrets. I don’t think I have done anything wrong,” he told NDTV.

Eyewitnesses recounted that Gaikwad shouted at the canteen staff, refused to pay for the food, and aggressively berated the employees in front of others. He also carried the food, now a day old, in a polybag to the Assembly the next day as evidence. “You tell me! This is not fit for dogs even,” he told a reporter, holding the stale dal and rice in front of them.

When asked if his violent behavior was appropriate for a public representative, he justified his conduct by saying, “If someone does not understand Hindi, or Marathi, or English, then this is how we do it.” He added, “I used the language Balasaheb Thackeray taught us. Meri satak gayi.”

The Incident Took Place in Akashwani MLA Hostel Canteen

The assault took place at the Akashwani MLA hostel canteen located in Mumbai’s Churchgate area. According to Gaikwad, the quality of food at the facility has been a long-standing issue. “Nearly 5,000-10,000 people eat here… Someone has a lizard in their food, and someone has a rat or a rope,” he alleged. He also claimed the non-vegetarian food served is 15 to 20 days old and that vegetables are stored for up to four days before being cooked.

Despite the brutal nature of the assault, the canteen worker did not file a police complaint. Authorities said they spoke to the victim, who declined to take any legal action against the MLA.

Opposition parties were quick to condemn the incident. Congress leader Nana Patole criticised Gaikwad’s position, stating, “If an MLA himself takes the law into his own hands, then who will uphold the law?” He further questioned why the canteen contractor had not been replaced despite repeated complaints and suggested that Gaikwad be removed as the chairman of the food committee.

Sena (UBT) MP Criticse the Assault

Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, tweeting, “Meet Shah Sena’s MLA Sanjay Gaikwad… The man is seen beating up a poor, helpless canteen worker. But wait, no news TV outrage here since it’s a BJP ally.” Her party colleague Bhaskar Jadhav accused the ruling alliance of hypocrisy, pointing out that opposition members have faced harsher consequences for merely expressing opinions.

The MLA has had his share of controversial moments in the past. In a previous incident, he drew sharp criticism after announcing a reward of Rs 11 lakh to anyone who would cut off Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s tongue. He has also been filmed making inflammatory remarks about both Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis.

While Gaikwad insists he’ll take the matter of poor food quality to the Assembly floor, public debate continues to center around whether violence — even in the face of legitimate complaints — can ever be justified.