10 MNS workers were arrested for the violence
MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday got a live demonstration of his party workers rigorously following his instructions as they vandalised a toll booth along the Bhiwandi bypass road right in front of his eyes. This is the first time MNS activists, who have destroyed several toll booths across the state as part of Thackeray's campaign against road tax, did so in his presence.
"MNS activist Kalpana Kapote was travelling to Kalyan when she crossed the Kharegaon toll naka. She asked the toll operators why there was no service road as per NHAI guidelines and said she did not want to pay toll. The toll manager and an employee spoke to her very rudely and made indecent gestures. She then called 150 of our men to the spot," said activist Sachin More.
"Kapote and the toll operator both complained to us. Around the same time, Raj Thackeray, who was travelling to Nashik, arrived," said Thane police commissioner Vijay Kamble.
Thackeray's convoy stopped when 200 people people gathered there to welcome him. Suddenly, they began raising slogans and smashed the glass panels of the toll naka. "DCP A Dudhe was on bandobast duty there. When some people smashed the glass panes, our policemen resorted to lathi charge. We arrested 10 MNS activists. They destroyed the booth in Raj Thackeray's presence,'' said Kamble.
Asked if Thackeray would be made an accused, Kamble said, "There is no need to arrest him. In fact, he was telling his party men to go home and was also telling the police not to hit them. He then proceeded to Nashik."
The Bhiwandi bypass project, where the Kharegaon toll naka is located, was the first build-operate-own project by the Public Works Department (PWD). It was conceptualised by then PWD Minister Nitin Gadkari, but had earned the criticism of CM Prithviraj Chavan's closest aide MLC Sanjay Dutt, who had alleged a scam. "The costs for Bhiwandi bypass had been recovered long back. The quality of the road is bad. I have raised this issue in the council on three ocassions. There is a lot of corruption in the toll collection system in this project. I hope the new toll policy will throw light into all this," said Dutt.
"MNS activist Kalpana Kapote was travelling to Kalyan when she crossed the Kharegaon toll naka. She asked the toll operators why there was no service road as per NHAI guidelines and said she did not want to pay toll. The toll manager and an employee spoke to her very rudely and made indecent gestures. She then called 150 of our men to the spot," said activist Sachin More.
"Kapote and the toll operator both complained to us. Around the same time, Raj Thackeray, who was travelling to Nashik, arrived," said Thane police commissioner Vijay Kamble.
Thackeray's convoy stopped when 200 people people gathered there to welcome him. Suddenly, they began raising slogans and smashed the glass panels of the toll naka. "DCP A Dudhe was on bandobast duty there. When some people smashed the glass panes, our policemen resorted to lathi charge. We arrested 10 MNS activists. They destroyed the booth in Raj Thackeray's presence,'' said Kamble.
Asked if Thackeray would be made an accused, Kamble said, "There is no need to arrest him. In fact, he was telling his party men to go home and was also telling the police not to hit them. He then proceeded to Nashik."
The Bhiwandi bypass project, where the Kharegaon toll naka is located, was the first build-operate-own project by the Public Works Department (PWD). It was conceptualised by then PWD Minister Nitin Gadkari, but had earned the criticism of CM Prithviraj Chavan's closest aide MLC Sanjay Dutt, who had alleged a scam. "The costs for Bhiwandi bypass had been recovered long back. The quality of the road is bad. I have raised this issue in the council on three ocassions. There is a lot of corruption in the toll collection system in this project. I hope the new toll policy will throw light into all this," said Dutt.
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