FDA Suspends Akashwani Hostel Canteen Licence After MLA Assaults Staff Over ‘Stale Food’v

The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Wednesday suspended the licence of Ajanta Caterers, which runs the canteen at the Akashwani MLA hostel in Mumbai, following allegations of serving stale food and an incident involving assault by a Shiv Sena legislator.

The action came hours after Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad allegedly slapped and punched a canteen employee over claims of substandard food. A video of the altercation, now viral, shows Gaikwad repeatedly hitting a staffer at the billing counter and refusing to pay his bill.

The FDA said it found multiple violations of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and related licensing regulations during an inspection conducted earlier on Wednesday. The caterer has been ordered to halt food service operations at the hostel starting Thursday.

Gaikwad, a legislator from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena, remained defiant after the incident. “I have no regrets,” he told reporters, calling his reaction “natural.” He added, “If someone doesn’t understand Hindi, Marathi or English — this is how we do it.”

He claimed that the food served to him on Tuesday night was unfit for consumption. “I had dal, roti and rice. The very first bite made me vomit,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned Gaikwad’s behaviour. “Such conduct sends the wrong message and tarnishes the image of the legislature. It reflects poorly on all MLAs,” Fadnavis said, adding that Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde has been urged to review the matter and take appropriate action.