NEW DELHI: A video showing Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad physically assaulting a canteen worker at a Mumbai MLA guest house has triggered fresh controversy.Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi shared the video, in which Gaikwad is seen punching the canteen worker for allegedly serving stale food.“Meet Shah Sena’s MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. Last year, he had threatened & announced Rs 11 lakh for anyone who cuts off Shri Rahul Gandhi’s tongue. Now the man is seen beating up a poor, helpless canteen worker. But wait—no TV news outrage here since he’s a BJP ally,” Chaturvedi said in a social media post.Meanwhile, Gaikwad said that he has “no regrets” over the incident and he will “repeat it” if someone fails to understand the democratic language.“People from all across the state come here, workers, officials, everyone come here to have food. The quality of food should be good here as it is a government canteen. I don’t have any regret over what I did. I am a public representative,” Gaikwad told news agency PTI.“When someone fails to understand democratic language then I have to use this language only. I didn’t thrash him seeing whether he is Marathi or Hindi-speaking. I had complained to concerned authorities on several occasions. I will repeat it,” he added.Last year, Gaikwad had made headlines after he offered a bounty of Rs 11 lakh to anyone who would “chop off the tongue” of Rahul Gandhi.This comes amid an ongoing language-related controversy in Maharashtra, where the Hindi vs Marathi debate has intensified. Political workers have reportedly been threatening individuals for speaking Hindi in the state.Earlier on Tuesday, a protest march was held in the Mira Bhayandar area near Mumbai to defend Marathi ‘asmita’ (pride). The protest followed rising political tensions after a shopkeeper was attacked for refusing to speak in Marathi.The protest march witnessed detention of several activists by police, and saw participation from leaders and workers of the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). The march was organised by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and other pro-Marathi groups under the banner of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, in response to a recent protest by traders.
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