A Shiv Sena lawmaker is seen forcing a roti into the mouth of a catering supervisor at the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi
On camera, a lawmaker from the Shiv Sena shoves a roti into the mouth of a catering supervisor at the Maharashtra government's official guest house in Delhi. The man, Arshad Zubair, was fasting for Ramzan.
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Rajan Vichare, the Sena MP from Thane near Mumbai, says the force-feeding was "only a protest against the poor food and unfit water" that was on offer at Maharashtra Sadan, the state government's official guest house in Delhi. "I had no idea he was Muslim...I just wanted him to try the food," he said.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said, "There was no intent to hurt religious sentiments... now it appears the Sena's version is being suppressed."
That explanation did not wash with other parties, who raised the controversy in Parliament and demanded an apology from the Sena, which is a member of the PM's coalition government. Some demanded criminal cases be registered against Sena MPs linked to the controversy, but the Speaker of the House cannot initiate action because the offense did not take place in Parliament.
Leaders from opposition parties said that at the very least, the Sena must be held accountable for its latest outing of lawlessness.
The catering at Maharashtra Sadan is handled by a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, and a committee has been formed to investigate the incident in three days. Based on its finding, a decision will be taken on whether to file a police case against the Sena's law-maker.
The incident dates to Thursday when the Sena's lawmakers they had planned a protest against below-average food and small rooms that they were given at Maharashtra Sadan. That's why a camera was present.
The Sena says its members are discriminated against by Bipin Mallick, the Resident Commissioner of Maharashtra, who, as the representative of the state government in Delhi, has administrative control of the Maharashtra Sadan.