Patrons of the 75-year-old Ling’s Pavilion in Colaba protest the move, which the owners say was demanded by AHAR following a ‘suggestion’ by Ramdas Athawale​The next time you find your sabhudana kichdi at the Ling’s Pavilion in Colaba has dollops of ajinomoto, send a complaint to the Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale.Much to the chagrin of Chinese cuisine aficionados and citizens protesting ‘food bullying’, the Ling’s Pavilion, perhaps the oldest surviving Chinese eatery in the city (it was launched in 1945), has included Maharashtrian dishes on its menu.The reason behind the citizens’ and the restaurant patrons’ ire is a political connection that appears to have forced the restaurant owners to club dimsums with misal pau under the same roof.Officials of the Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association said that there was a “suggestion” by Athawale, recently appointed as the Union minister of state for social justice, to “promote Maharashtrian cuisine and ensure all restaurants serve such dishes at affordable rates”. The suggestion was made after the City Kinara fire last year.The AHAR chairman, Niranjan Shetty, said following the suggestion, the association “requested” all restaurants to do their bid to promote local cuisine. “We have asked member restaurants to try it out. If any restaurant is doing that, it is a welcome move. It is a request, not a diktat,” Shetty said.One of the owners, Baba Ling, confirmed that the menu was changed because AHAR asked him to do so. “There was a meeting of restaurant owners through our association (AHAR) and they asked all restaurants to promote Maharashtrian food. Hence, we put these items on the menu. We are doing it because the association asked us to do so,” Baba Ling told Mumbai Mirror.When asked whether patrons actually ask for Maharashtrian dishes at his eatery, he said, “Nobody has ever ordered any of that. Why will anyone order a misal pau at an authentic Chinese restaurant?”While Athawale was not available for comment, Shetty insisted that it was the Ling’s Pavilion owners’ decision to introduce Maharashtrian dishes at the eatery. “As I said, we merely suggest. It is up to the restaurant owners to decide,” he said.When Mirror asked Baba Ling about the quality of Maharashtrian dishes at his restaurant, he was brutally honest. “If someone orders, we will give them the items, but it will take time as our chefs specialise in Chinese cuisine,” he said.Meanwhile, several citizens mocked the move on social media, and pointed out the rates (the misal and usal pav are priced at Rs 300, which a regular Maharashtrian eatery will serve for less than Rs 40).“I am waiting for that son of the soil who is going to pay Rs 300 for a misal,” said a Facebook post, while another citizen commented, “Don’t be shocked when the name changes to Shivling’s Pavilion.”