‘South Indians Run Dance Bars’: Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad Triggers Another Controversy After Canteen Slap Row

Mumbai:  Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, already facing backlash for physically assaulting canteen staff over food quality at the MLAs' hostel in Mumbai, has sparked another controversy but this time with a communal remark targeting the South Indian community.

Speaking on Thursday, Gaikwad questioned the awarding of a food supply contract to a South Indian contractor, stating, “South Indians run dance bars and ladies bars and spoil Maharashtra’s culture. They have corrupted our children. How will they serve good food?” He added that such contracts should be given to Marathi individuals who understand local tastes and uphold cultural values.

This inflammatory statement follows a viral video that showed the Buldhana MLA slapping and punching a canteen worker over allegedly being served "rotten" dal and rice. The incident took place Tuesday evening at the MLAs' hostel in Colaba. Widespread condemnation poured in after the video surfaced online on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Caught on Camera: Shinde Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad Punches, Slaps Canteen Worker Over 'Stinking Dal' at Mumbai MLA Guest House - Video Viral

Sanjay Gaikwad, a two-time legislator from Maharashtra’s Buldhana constituency and a member of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, is no stranger to controversy. His past remarks and actions have repeatedly drawn criticism.

In January 2024, shortly after winning his second Assembly term by a narrow margin, Gaikwad lashed out at voters, claiming many had sold their votes for liquor, meat, and cash. "Those who sell their vote for daru, mutton, and two thousand rupees are worse than prostitutes," he had said.

Earlier, in September, he made headlines by offering a ₹11 lakh reward to anyone who would "cut off Rahul Gandhi's tongue" in response to the Congress leader’s comments on the reservation system during a foreign visit.

In yet another shocking revelation, the MLA claimed in February last year that he had hunted a tiger in 1987 and kept its tooth as a pendant, leading to a case being registered against him under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Gaikwad’s latest outburst, coupled with his history of inflammatory statements and violent conduct, has intensified calls for disciplinary action against him. The opposition has slammed both his remarks and his behavior as unbecoming of a public representative.