In a disturbing incident at the Akashvani MLA canteen in Churchgate, Mumbai, Sanjay Gaikwad, an MLA from Buldhana, physically assaulted a canteen staff member over the quality of dal served to him. The altercation, captured on video and now widely circulated online, has sparked a debate about the behavior of public officials. Gaikwad, visibly upset with the food quality, accused the staff of serving stale dal that caused him stomach discomfort. He demanded to know who prepared the meal and insisted that the food was unfit for consumption.

The video shows Gaikwad confronting the canteen staff, Yogesh Kutran, making him smell the dal before slapping and punching him. Despite the violent nature of his actions, Gaikwad expressed no remorse, stating that his behavior was in line with what he described as “Shiv Sena style” and justified it by citing his martial arts background. He further claimed that he had repeatedly complained about food quality at the canteen but received no satisfactory response.

Gaikwad’s actions have drawn criticism from both customers and staff at the canteen. While many agree that food quality needs improvement, they condemned the physical assault as inappropriate for an elected representative. The incident has raised broader questions about accountability and conduct among public officials in India.

Gaikwad defended his actions by invoking the teachings of Balasaheb Thackeray, asserting that he acted out of frustration after multiple failed attempts to address the issue through dialogue. He also mentioned his intention to bring up the matter in the legislative assembly to ensure better food standards in public facilities.