M A I N   N E W S

Raj Thackeray orders attack on toll booths; MNS workers run riot
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

A toll booth allegedly vandalised by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers on Monday. PTI

Mumbai, January 27
The Maharashtra Police today arrested more than 100 people, including Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) MLA Pravin Darekar, for vandalising toll booths in eight cities of the state. The party activists had followed the orders of their leader Raj Thackeray, who had asked them to beat up everyone collecting toll tax in the state.

Thackeray had announced the diktat during a function at Navi Mumbai on Sunday evening. “Don't pay toll to anyone. If there is a traffic jam, don’t worry. If anyone asks you to pay toll, give them a sound thrashing. Break everything if you are stopped for toll,” Thackeray had reportedly told his party workers. The police said toll booths were attacked in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Pune, Aurangabad, Sangli and Nagpur. However, toll collection has not been stopped in any of the places and the police are on alert to arrest those creating trouble. Darekar was arrested after he led a group of party workers to attack a toll booth at Dahisar in North Mumbai. The police said an FIR had been lodged against him.

Won’t tolerate incitement: Deputy CM

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday warned of strict action against agitators opposing collection of toll by taking law into their hands. “(Propagating) violence and indulging in vandalism is not the culture of progressive Maharashtra,” Pawar said. — PTI