Maha Sadan controversy fallout: No action against Sena MPs but Marathi speaking staff, better food soon

Mumbai: Months after a group of Shiv Sena MPs sparked controversy by force feeding a Muslim canteen supervisor at the Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, the state government hasn’t found any problem with their conduct but has promised to ensure that the food served there has a ‘Maharashtrian touch’ and that the staff is able to speak Marathi.

“The committee was set up to look into the things to improve the overall management. We have received the report recently and we are working on it now on to improve better management, system, food with others,” Sumit Mallick, additional chief secretary (protocol), told Firstpost.

Shiv Sena MPs were accused of forcing a Muslim catering manager at Maharashtra Sadan in July 2014 to break his Ramazan fast and consume a chapati. The one-member committee of the then principal secretary Dr Bhagwan Sahay was constituted by the former Congress-NCP government to probe the incident after the controversy.

The committee was tasked with inquiring into the complaints of poor quality food served by canteen and complaints against other facilities at the state guest house. However, as per the official order, the committee was not asked inquire into the incident of the Shiv Sena MPs force feeding the canteen employee.

Mallick said that the state government is now in the process of appointing a new contractor and it will be done in a month.

“Since, we don’t compare the food standards with star hotels; the food will have a Maharashtrian touch. The ambience will be comfortable, healthy and hygienic. Also, though it will not be mandatory, the staff should speak Marathi as far as possible apart from Hindi and English,” he said, adding that the necessary provisions will be made in the upcoming state budget.

The Sena MPs who went on a rampage in the Maharashtra Sadan had complained about electrical, civil, housekeeping and poor quality food at the canteen and were angry over not being served Maharashtrian food. Following the controversy, former chief minister Prithviaj Chavan had severed the contract of catering company, an IRCTC subsidiary, on the grounds that several complaints had been filed against it.

When asked about inquiring into the force feeding incident, Mallick said that the committee did not look into it as it was not in its terms of reference.

The police is investigating the case and the matter is also gone to court in Delhi, he said.

Kamran Siddiqui, a social worker, had filed a complaint with the Delhi police seeking the lodging of an FIR against Sena MP Rajan Vichare under various sections of the IPC including 153 A (promoting enmity between classes), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraining any person) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The Shiv Sena has welcomed the government’s decision and said that a lot of facilities did need to be improved at Maharashtra Sadan.

“It’s good that that the government is trying to provide quality food. But, a lot facilities such as water, roof top leakages and others need to be dealt with. We don’t get pure water there till today,” Arvind Sawant, Sena MP and party spokesperson, said.

Last week the BJP-led Maharashtra government has transferred the institution’s resident commissioner Bipin Mallick and has appointed Abha Shukla in his place. The Shiv Sena had earlier alleged that the then former commissioner of the institution had the backing of the previous chief minister and attempting to defame Shiv Sena in view of the assembly elections.