'South Indians Brought Dance Bars, Tarnished Maharashtra Culture': Shinde Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad's Racist Remarks After Slapping Canteen Manager

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad stirred controversy after openly defending his assault on the canteen manager at the MLA hostel in Mumbai over allegedly being served stale food. Gaikwad, while unapologetic about his actions, further courted outrage with remarks targeting the South Indian identity of the canteen owner.

Speaking to the Marathi news portal, ABP Majha, Gaikwad claimed that it was only because of his intervention that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally took action and cancelled the license of the MLA hostel canteen. “My method may have been wrong, but my reaction was not,” he stated. Gaikwad stated that he had assaulted the manager, not a waiter, and justified the incident citing health concerns. “I have suffered stomach issues for 20 years. Eating such food causes me trouble for 15 days. If the food served is toxic, my reaction is not wrong.”

Gaikwad's Controversial Remarks On South Indians

What escalated the situation further was Gaikwad’s pointed attack on the canteen owner's South Indian background. “Why are the opposition leaders suddenly feeling sympathetic towards the South Indian canteen owner? Hasn’t Maharashtra been ruined by people from the South?” he asked. He went on to allege that South Indians were responsible for the rise of ladies’ bars and dance bars, claiming they corrupted the youth and tarnished Maharashtrian culture.

The incident reportedly occurred after repeated complaints against the canteen's food quality were allegedly ignored. Gaikwad stated that despite 400 complaints in the last five years, no action was taken. “Even Narhari Zirwal said action must be taken, yet I didn’t receive any report for two months,” he added, implying a conspiracy or cover-up behind the scenes.

'Ready To Accept Any Punishment': Gaikwad

Gaikwad insisted that the assault was 'a minor one' and legally a non-cognizable (NC) matter. “I know the law. There’s no punishment under law for this. Since the Assembly session is ongoing, I met the Speaker, and I will now meet the Chief Minister and Deputy CM to present my side. If they feel I’m wrong, I’m ready to accept any punishment they give,” he said.