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Maharashtra force-feeding incident: Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray says media okay with rape, but not force-feeding

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11 members of Parliament from Maharashtra belonging to the Shiv Sena allegedly forced a Muslim catering supervisor to break his fast at Mahrashtra Sadan in New Delhi last week. 

Though Shiv Sena denied any such incident to have taken place, a video footage grabbed by 'Zee Media' has emerged which clearly shows Rajan Vichare, Sena MP from Thane, forcing the Muslim supervisor to eat chapati.

The incident attracted criticism from all parts of the society, however, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray initially said the party had no hatred for other religions. He demanded the dismissal of Resident Commissioner of New Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi. He however kept the incident in headlines by saying that 'rape' is okay with the media, political parties and politicians, but not the voice raised against poor services.​

Latest updates on the incident

Narendra Modi government unlikely to intervene in force-feeding incident due to 'no complaint filed'

Home Ministry is unlikely to intervene in the case in which Shiv Sena MPs allegedly force- fed a Muslim employee who was observing Roza as no police complaint has been filed as yet over the episode. Maharashtra government has sent a preliminary report to Home Ministry on the basis of a factual note on the incident prepared by the state's Resident Commissioner.

Uddhav Thackeray courts controversy, says media okay with rape, but not force-feeding​ 

Defending the act of forcing a Muslim catering supervisor to break his Ramzan fast at Maharashtra Sadan by its MPs, an editorial published in Saamna, the official mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena on Thursday said 'rape' is okay with the media, political parties and politicians, but not the voice raised against poor services.

The editorial says, "Even after spending a huge amount, there is no 'Maharashtra'' and 'Marathiness' in the Maharashtra Sadan at Delhi. Marathi people cannot walk in with pride. It is the history that Maharashtrians are always insulted in Delhi. If we are going to get insulting treatment even after spending so much amount, then anyone would get fury and so did we."

Protests against the force-feeding incident

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt leads protest against Shiv Sena in Mumbai

Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt led a protest today in Mumbai against the recent incident of Maharashtra Sadan where a Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) forced a Muslim caterer to break his Ramzan fast. Read more

Shiv Sena MP force-feeding Muslim: Activists protest in Jaipur

Muslim activists on Thursday staged protests here against Shiv Sena for force-feeding a fasting Muslim employee at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi last week. Read more

Maharashtra Sadan controversy: NSUI workers protest against Shiv Sena

National Students' Union of India (NSUI) workers on Thursday held a protest outside the Rail Bhawan against the Shiv Sena for allegedly forcing a Muslim man to break his fast.

A protester told ANI, "A few days ago Shiv Sena MPs had protested in Maharashtra Sadan regarding the poor quality of the food being served. A person is being forced to eat during Ramazan and the NDA government is encouraging this lawlessness." Read more

Maharashtra Sadan incident creates uproar in Lok Sabha the following day

The episode in Maharashtra Sadan where some of the Shiv Sena MPs had allegedly tried to force food on a Muslim staffer keeping fast rocked the morning hour in Lok Sabha on Wednesday morning.

What caused most embarrassment was the insinuating remark made by South Delhi's BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, which raised the furore. Parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu intervened and said he does not approve of Bidhuri's behaviour and he would apologise. Bidhuri regretted if he had offended any of the members.

While BJP leaders tried to glide over the issue by keeping mum outside the House, party senior leader LK Advani said that "it was wrong".

Delhi Police steps up security at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi

Amid raging controversy over a Shiv Sena MP caught on video purportedly force-feeding a fasting Muslim employee at the Maharashtra Sadan, its authorities have written to the Delhi Police asking them to step up security at the state house.

The duty manager of the new Maharashtra Sadan, which is the guest house of Maharashtra Government, has written a letter to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Tilak Marg in this regard.

Prithviraj Chavan orders inquiry into MPs' complaints over Maharashtra Sadan services

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into complaints made by MPs from the state regarding quality of services being provided at Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi. "The Chief Minister has ordered an inquiry after complaints by MPs regarding various services provided at Maharashtra Sadan," an official statement said. State Chief Secretary J S Saharia will comply and submit report in this regard, it said.

What really happened

Around 11 members of Parliament from Maharashtra belonging to the Shiv Sena allegedly forced a Muslim catering supervisor to break his fast at Mahrashtra Sadan in New Delhi last week. 

Though Shiv Sena denied any such incident to have taken place, a video footage grabbed by 'Zee Media' has emerged which clearly shows Rajan Vichare, Sena MP from Thane, forcing the Muslim supervisor to eat chapati.

The MPs were apparently angry over not being served Maharashtrian food, a daily reported. Snubbing religious sentiments, the Shiv Sainiks forced Arshad Zubair S, who was fasting for Ramzan, to eat a chapati. The incident took place when a group of around 15 MPs were discussing complaints about the lack of services at the Sadan.

Indian Railways' IRCTC immediately suspended the catering service in protest. IRCTC complained in writing to the Maharashtra Resident Commissioner, saying the employee had been “deeply pained and hurt as religious sentiments are attached”. Also Read

Political leaders and religious heads react

Muslim cleric Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali reacted saying,"Muslims strongly condemn the act, and strict action should be taken by their party according to the law."  

Apart from religious heads reacting to the issue, political leaders too vented their criticism of the Shiv Sena MPs. Congress, Communist Party of India, Maharshtra Navnirman Sena, National Conference, all unequivocally condemned the incident.

Demanding a discussion in the zero hour in Parliament, senior leader Sitaram Yechury said, "such acts won't be tolerated".

“Shiv Sena's hooliganism is not new and forcing a fasting Muslim staffer to eat reveals their true face. This act is dangerous for democracy and strict action should be taken against them,” said NCP leader Nawab Malik. Describing it as a heinous act, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “The ideology of the Shiv Sena is hatred. We condemn such acts and demand action against the MPs."

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday condemned the alleged forcing of a Muslim to break his Ramzan fast by some Shiv Sena MPs at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi. The Chief Minister also sought to know how BJP and Shiv Sena would have reacted had a Muslim MP done a similar act. Read more

Bala Nandgaonkar of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) said it was wrong for the Sena MPs to force a Muslim to break his fast. "I am not completely aware of the incident. But if they did force a Muslim to break his fast, it is very wrong. One should make sure that people of all religions are respected," he said.

Congress leader and former Mumbai MP Milind Deora described the incident as "unpardonable", and said this kind of "vigilante justice" would be on display for the next five years. Read more

Catering supervisor speaks about the incident

The catering supervisor of the IRCTC-managed canteen at New Maharashtra Sadan, who was force- feeded by a Shiv Sena MP in a fit of rage, has claimed chapatis were forced into his mouth even though they knew his name and his religious sentiments were hurt.

In a complaint to the Maharashtra Resident Commissioner, Arshad Zubair, who was at the receiving end of the Shiv Sena MPs' anger, said chapatis were put into his mouth even though he was wearing his name tag. "I was getting the orders prepared. They caught me and put the chapatis into my mouth. I was wearing a formal uniform as prescribed by IRCTC and everybody in the panel also knew my name as "Arshad as I was wearing the name tag.

"Even then, they pushed chapatis into my mouth, which caused my fast to break on the eve of Ramzan. I was hurt with the thing they have done as religious sentiments were concerned," Arshad said in his complaint. Read more

Shiv Sena ally BJP termed the incident at Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi as "unfortunate"

We are deeply hurt by the unfortunate incident that took place in Maharashtra Sadan. The MPs should ensure they maintain a decent character in public life, which would keep their dignity intact in front of the masses," BJP's national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

Hussain, who was here to attend an iftar party organised by Mumbai BJP, said that if the MPs had any complaints about the food, they should have either approached the IRCTC officials or the railway minister himself. "There was no need for them to vent their anger on a catering employee," he said.

LK Advani disapproved of the action of Shiv Sena MPs. The senior BJP leader LK Advani on Wednesday disapproved of the alleged action of Shiv Sena MPs in forcing a fasting Muslim to eat at Maharashtra Sadan here. "This is wrong," he told reporters when asked to comment on the incident which allegedly took place last week. Read more

Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray's response to force-feeding incident creates new controversy

Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday reacted to the incident saying the uproar over the incident was an attempt to "silence" his party's voice. He, however, said despite being a votary of Hindutva, Shiv Sena had no hatred for other religions. Read more

He even demanded the dismissal of Resident Commissioner of New Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, Bipin Malik, with immediate effect for allegedly providing poor quality services and food to the state's MPs. Read more

However, in the editorial of Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamna, the party president said that 'rape' is okay with the media, political parties and politicians, but not the voice raised against poor services. Read more

Also Read:

Should Uddhav Thackeray demand the resignation of Rajan Vichare over Maharashtra Sadan incident?

Twitter users react with anger to Shiv Sena MP force-feeding Muslim staffer observing Roza

​10 out of 11 Shiv Sena MPs under fire for Maharashtra Sadan incidence have criminal cases against them

 

 

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