Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has launched a scathing attack on Sanjay Gaikwad, an MLA from the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, for allegedly assaulting a canteen worker at Mumbai’s Akashvani MLA hostel over the quality of dal.
In an interview to NDTV, the Rajya Sabha MP condemned Gaikwad’s actions, accusing the Shinde faction of a pattern of unchecked aggression and predicting the MLA will face no repercussions.
Chaturvedi emphasized the responsibility that comes with being an elected representative, stating, “Sanjay Gaikwad, as an MLA, should display maturity and accountability. Instead, he assaulted a worker over something as trivial as dal quality.” She drew a stark contrast between this incident and a recent assault by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on a shopkeeper in Mira-Bhayender, which she claimed was about “disrespect” rather than language.
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In the MNS case, legal action was swift, with the perpetrators detained and booked under bailable sections. However, Chaturvedi predicted Gaikwad would “go scot-free,” with no FIR filed against him.
“This isn’t the first time the Shinde faction has acted with impunity,” Chaturvedi alleged, pointing to a prior incident where supporters reportedly vandalized a studio after stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra mocked Eknath Shinde. “They destroyed the livelihood of several comedians, and now an MLA assaults a worker with no consequences. This is the difference,” she said.
Chaturvedi’s remarks highlight the growing rift between the two Shiv Sena factions, with the Uddhav Thackeray camp seizing the opportunity to criticize their rivals’ conduct.
As public outrage simmers over the incident, all eyes are on whether Gaikwad will face any legal or political fallout—or if, as Chaturvedi claims, the Shinde faction’s influence will shield him from accountability.
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