Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad again courted controversy when, after an episode at the Maharashtra MLAs' hostel in Mumbai, where he was caught physically assaulting a canteen employee for serving stale food, he justified his action and further enraged people by making derogatory comments about the Shetty community, which has a high presence in the hospitality industry.
In an interview with NDTV, Gaikwad complained about the quality of food served at the canteen of Akashvani MLA hostel and placed the onus on the owners for lowering the standards of health. "These Shettys have been playing with our lives for a long time.
Today, they tried to play with my life. My stomach isn't good and I have been disturbed over it for the last 20 years. The slightest mistake can land me up with a stomach ache," he alleged.
Gaikwad reportedly flared up after being served food which he termed as stale—namely the dal and rice that was put before him on Tuesday evening. There was a video that emerged online in which Gaikwad slapped the canteen staff member, Yogesh Kutran, after storming into the premises. The video caused public outrage.
Gaikwad was not sparing in his words and said, "The Opposition agrees with their views but don't they realize that these Shettys of the south have tarnished Maharashtra's culture, be it dance bars or ladies bars. These have been happening in Maharashtra for long and are being carried out by the Shettys. Shetty is not on his forehead but the hotel is owned by the Shettys."
When it was put to him that his reaction would have been different if a Marathi individual had been involved, Gaikwad replied, "This is not a Marathi question. First, the Marathis would not have done such a thing. The Maharashtrians have never operated a dance bar, or a ladies bar, they have never committed such acts, only outsiders commit such acts. Earlier Balasaheb too had protested these."
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a comment on the matter at a legislative session, observing that complaints regarding food quality are understandable but physical attack is not acceptable. "We came to know that the facilities were not of good quality, the food was stale. Whatever it is, one can give a complaint. But for a public representative to attack someone, and the video getting circulated is not good," Fadnavis stated.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, head of Gaikwad's Shiv Sena faction, also criticized the attack. "We are public representatives and we have some degree of responsibility. I condemn Gaikwad's act. I have instructed him that it is not right to slap somebody," Shinde said.
Gaikwad still defended his actions, saying he slapped the manager, not the staffer, and reasoned that the result justified his action. I have been lodging complaints about it for the past two to three years but in vain. It was not only me, but a few other MLAs, their personal secretaries and other individuals made similar complains but nothing was done.". I was aware of the path I took was wrong but the wrong path has brought me to the right path, and this is why a case has been filed against him today," he asserted, mentioning that the canteen's licence was revoked by the Maharashtra FDA.
He also stated, "I agree that my route was wrong but the destination was correct," adding that his act ensured justice for many people who had the same complaint.
When asked whether his act could cause disturbance to public order, Gaikwad averred, "This is not an incident which had the possibility of disturbing the law and order. We have not gone against society. We have only given a lesson to those who were attempting to play with other people's lives by serving them wrong food."
He also made it clear that accountability had to be universal: "Action should be taken against anyone who does wrong things, be it a Shetty or a Maharashtrian. No one has the right to play with anyone's life."
Reacting to his party leader Shinde's disapproval, Gaikwad stated that he would clarify his position to both Shinde and the Chief Minister, and was confident that they would see his point.
"This was justice to me, justice to a number of other individuals. If the canteen staff people want to take action against me and register an FIR, then they must be ready for a cross-FIR too," he threatened.
Ask him if he thought violence was the right measure, Gaikwad said, "I don't think anyone will ever commit this blunder again."
The MLA has a tendency to make provocative comments. In 2024, he made headlines after announcing a reward of ₹11 lakh for anyone who cut off Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s tongue over comments related to the reservation system.
A viral video from the same year showed a police officer washing Gaikwad’s car; he later claimed the officer volunteered after he vomited inside the vehicle. In another controversy, he had stated that he had killed a tiger in 1987 and had the tooth in the form of a pendant—a claim that resulted in a case being lodged under the Wildlife Protection Act.
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