MLA Hostel Food Row: FDA Suspends Caterer’s License After Assault Incident Involving Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad

Mumbai: In the aftermath of a viral video showing Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA Sanjay Gaikwad physically assaulting a canteen staffer at the Mumbai MLA hostel over allegations of stale food, the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has suspended the license of the contracted caterer, Ajanta Caterers.

The FDA took swift action following an on-site inspection at the Akashwani MLA hostel canteen. Officials visited the facility around 11 am and collected multiple food samples, including dal, paneer, schezwan chutney, and reused cooking oil. These samples have been sent for laboratory testing, with results expected in the next two weeks. The suspension was issued under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and corresponding licensing regulations.

Ajanta Caterers, which had been providing food services to the hostel, has been ordered to cease operations with immediate effect. According to the FDA, the suspension will remain in place pending further investigation and lab findings.

The controversy stems from an incident earlier this week, when MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, reportedly enraged by the alleged quality of food served to him, entered the canteen and violently confronted the staff. A video of the incident, which quickly spread across social media, shows Gaikwad slapping and kicking a staff member, while angrily claiming that the food was stale and unfit for consumption.