Mumbai: Despite the nationwide outrage over a Shiv Sena MP trying to forcibly feed a fasting Muslim, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has demanded the dismissal of the resident commissioner of the new Maharashtra guesthouse and office in New Delhi where the incident occurred.
On July 17, Sena MP Rajan Vichare was caught on video footage trying to force-feed a fasting Muslim employee in the New Maharashtra Sadan during a protest with 10 other Sena MPs over the quality of food served. The MP tried to thrust the ‘roti’ into the staffer’s mouth even though he said he was fasting. However, the incident sparked off anger and an uproar in Parliament on Wednesday even as Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan ordered a probe in to the episode.
Thackeray, while speaking in Nashik where he has gone to hold discussions with his party men, said that the Resident Commissioner of New Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, Bipin Malik, should be sacked from his present post for providing poor quality services and food to the state’s MPs. Once again he said that there were attempts by Opposition parties to give a communal colour to what had happened.
“We respect other religions and our MP Rajan Vichare also expressed his regret over the incident reported in Maharashtra Sadan. Our MPs didn’t intend to break the ‘roza’ of the Muslim supervisor,” he said.
Thackeray also demanded an inquiry into allegations of corruption in the contracts for the construction of the palatial Maharashtra Sadan. He said BJP MP Kirit Somaiya had also raised the issue earlier. “Therefore, an inquiry should be instituted against the contractors appointed since the time of construction.” He pointed out that Marathi artistes were earlier not allowed into the Sadan. “If it is not going to be of any help to Marathi people, it should be renamed as a lodging-boarding place,” he said.
Meanwhile, an editorial in the mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ said in defence and defiance that it was a protest against the mismanagement at Maharashtra Sadan. Without naming Vichare, it said, “Was it wrong to question the injustice? Was it wrong to question the catering contractor on quality of food served there?
“What is wrong if the ‘chapati’ is taken to the mouth of the contractor and he was asked to eat it. It was not written on his face that he was a Muslim. It was just a coincidence.”
Criticising the way the guesthouse and the offices were run, the editorial stated that Mahrashtra Sadan has “become a personal fiefdom. This is an insult to the Marathi manoos. Instead of taking note of the voice raised by the Marathi MPs, the chief minister and the state chief secretary are trying to give a communal colour to the incident,” stated the editorial.
