The full-day hartal and rasta roko agitation against toll plazas called by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, turned out to be a matinee show of sorts for the Mumbaikars, with traffic being disrupted from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. only.

Other than a few strongholds of the party in Central and Eastern suburb, the working of the city was not disrupted.

Chief of MNS Raj Thackeray was detained by the Mumbai Police, when he was on way to participate in the agitation at the Vashi toll plaza. After his detention, he appealed to his party workers to maintain peace and order. He said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has called for a meeting on toll issue tomorrow .

The party workers were present on the streets in areas such as Dadar, Parel, Dombivali, Navi Mumbai, Thane to protest against the collection of vehicle toll across Maharashtra. About 650 party workers were taken into preventive custody across the state.

In Dahisar, a suburb of Mumbai, which shares its border with the neighbouring Thane district, hundreds of party workers led by MLA Pravin Darekar, protested at the Dahisar toll junction. In Parel area, which has traditionally been a stronghold of the party, shops and some offices remained closed.

BJP State President Devendra Fadnavis said it was the BJP-Shiv Sena has first raised the issued of unfair toll collection across the state and has promised toll-free Maharashtra in they are voted to power. Other parties have risen up to the problem now, he said.

comment COMMENT NOW