AT least 11 members of Parliament belonging to the right-wing Shiv Sena allegedly forced a Muslim catering supervisor, who was fasting for Ramadan, to eat a chapati at the new Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi last week.
This would make any right thinking person angry. These are MPs with privileges, what the heck did they think they were displaying: Integrity and responsibility? How can they be permitted to get away with this terrible conduct? these are your men Mr. Modi, haul them up.
The MPs were apparently angry over not being served Maharashtrian food, the report said. So, they made him break his fast by forcing food down his throat. In the capital of secular India. An MP called Rajesh Baburao caught on camera. No guesses. No need for an investigation. You can see him shoving the food. This is so gross that it takes the breath away. What action has been taken? Where is the response from the central government?
Even if we do, for the moment put aside the religious angle, just for a moment, this was a physical abuse of power and an assault. The MP has to be taken to task.
IRCTC, the Indian Railways subsidiary that was catering for the Sadan, has stopped all operations in protest, and complained to the Maharashtra resident commissioner Bipin Mallick.
IRCTC Deputy General Manager Shankar Malhotra wrote an e-mail to Mallick on July 17 saying the MPs misbehaved with the staff at the public dining and forced the resident manager Arshad to eat a chapati.
Arshad has also complained to the resident commissioner.
“All the guests along with media reporters and staffs of Maharashtra Sadan got into kitchen where I was getting the orders prepared. They caught me and put the chapati into my mouth.
I was wearing a formal uniform set 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 inserted chapati in my mouth which caused my fast to break on the eve of Ramadan. I was hurt with the thing they have done as religious sentiments are concerned.”
What is the Speaker of the House doing about this? The 11 MPs have been named and shamed and should they not now be suspended pending an inquiry which if it finds them guilty of going against the Constitution disbars them from office and all perks that do go with it.
The state government has said it is examining the matter, and has promised “appropriate action”. Let’s see if they take any.
