Legislators from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) staged a dramatic “banian-towel” protest outside Maharashtra’s Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday, condemning Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad’s assault on a canteen worker at the MLA Hostel in Mumbai last week.
Clad in vests (banians) and towels over their clothes, the opposition members raised slogans accusing the ruling alliance of encouraging “goonda raj” in the state.
#WATCH | Mumbai | MVA leaders hold protest against Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, who had punched a canteen worker over allegedly poor quality food served there
Visuals from outside Maharashtra Assembly pic.twitter.com/oP5iR49lVH
— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2025
Maharashtra Leader Of Opposition Slams Govt
Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, said, “The assault by Gaikwad in the MLA canteen shows that even the government is backing such elements.”
The controversy erupted after a video went viral showing Sanjay Gaikwad, a legislator from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, slapping and pushing canteen staffers. The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday night when Gaikwad ordered dal-rice to his hostel room. Dissatisfied with the food, which he claimed was “foul-smelling and stale,” he barged into the canteen in a fit of anger.
The widely circulated video shows Gaikwad verbally abusing the canteen operator, refusing to pay for the meal, and physically attacking a staff member at the billing counter. He is also heard urging others not to pay for the food.
In the video, Gaikwad was seen wearing a vest and a towel wrapped around his waist, an outfit that later became a symbol of protest for MVA legislators, who mimicked the look to mock the ruling party’s silence on the incident.
Gaikwad faced strong criticism from both the opposition and sections of the ruling government, with calls for disciplinary action and a probe into the incident.
