Bhopal:
Madhya Pradesh Public Health and Medical Education Minister, Narendra Shivaji Patel, allegedly triggered a surprising food security raid at a local restaurant late on Sunday night – not on health concerns, but allegedly after failing to secure a table. While the minister has denied the allegations, the State Chamber of Commerce has expressed displeasure and said that he will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The incident came to light in the popular “Quality Restaurant” in Patel Nagar, where the minister, allegedly attended the welcoming of the son of Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday, arrived with his family.
Wearing a formal dress instead of a normal political garland, Mr. Patel was not recognized by the busy restaurant employees. He informed him that all the tables were booked and asked to wait.
Annoyed, the minister allegedly called the officials of the Food Safety Department, claiming hygiene violations.
Within minutes, an entire team was on the site. By 11:15 pm, the kitchen was subject to inspection, and five samples – including oil, cheese and mawa – were collected.
Eyewitnesses said the hotel staff started apologizing as the authorities swooped into the kitchen. A video of the raid, in which the restaurant operator is shown to be shown by giving directions to Mr. Patel, has been widely broadcast since then.
The local trade community is extremely upset.
Representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations arrived at the late night restaurant, called the action “dictatorship” and “hooliganism”.
“This is not rule. It is an abuse of power,” the Chairman of the Chamber, Dr. Praveen Aggarwal said.
He said, “We will write to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister demanding a high-level inquiry and the dismissal of Minister Patel.”
When Gwalior’s Parent Minister Tulsi Silavat and Energy Minister Praduman Singh tried to mediate and de-skeletes, Mr. Patel doubled, called the restaurant a “adulteration den” and slammed the Chamber of Commerce for “wrongdoing”.
On contact, Mr. Patel denied the allegations, calling him “baseless” and “part of the conspiracy to avoid legal action”.
He said, “I did not go there. I had already eaten at the wedding. It was an inspection. It’s my working style – wherever I go, I surprise.”
He also said that the promotion around the seating issue was “irrelevant and laughter”.
“Do you really feel that a minister will not get a table?” He said, Chakli.
He further claimed that the Gwalior-Chambal region has become the “hotspot of adulteration” and vowed to continue such surprising inspections.
This is not the first brush of Mr. Patel with controversy.
A year ago, the police in Bhopal filed a case against their son Abhigayan Patel to allegedly create an uproar. The minister broke into the assembly in the first information report, accusing the system of targeting his family.
