Transport workers protest outside Sharad Pawar's residence, over 100 taken into custody

Protesting MSRTC employees raised slogans against the senior politician stating he did little to resolve their concerns. The irate employees even threw stones and slippers during the agitation.

More than 100 striking workers of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) held a protest outside Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in Mumbai on Friday.

File photo of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

A senior police officer more than 100 protestors, including women, were taken into custody and brought to the Yellow Gate police station. "Registration of an FIR is under process against the protestors at Malabar Hill police station under various sections of Indian Penal Code,” the officer said.

The protesters raised slogans against the senior politician stating he did little to resolve their concerns. The irate employees even threw stones and slippers during the agitation.

According to some reports, the protesters also surrounded Pawar’s daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule outside the south Mumbai house, ‘Silver Oak’.

Thousands of MSRTC workers were staging a stir since November 2021 demanding that they be treated on par with state government employees and that the cash-strapped transport corporation be merged with the government. They said they were firm on their demand for the merger. Some of the employees blamed Pawar for their losses.

On Wednesday, the Bombay high court asked the striking workers of the transport corporation to resume duty by April 22. Following the order, state transport minister Anil Parab said no action would be taken against those workers who would rejoin duty by the deadline set by the court.

"We respect the decision of the high court, but we were discussing the issues with the state government, which has been elected by the people. This elected government did nothing for us. The Chanakya of this government - Sharad Pawar - is also responsible for our losses," said a protesting employee.

"Some 120 MSRTC employees have died by suicide during the strike. These are not suicides, but murders of the state policy. We are firm on our demand of merger of the MSRTC with the state government. The NCP chief has not done anything to resolve the issue," an agitating employee was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

(With inputs from Mumbai bureau and agencies)