MNS workers vandalise toll naka in Nashik after Raj Thackeray’s son is stopped

The highway is owned by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and two stages of the project were commissioned in 2023, one by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the second by chief minister Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: A toll plaza situated on Samruddhi Expressway in Nashik was vandalised by some workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after a convoy of Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, was allegedly stopped at Gonde toll plaza in Sinnar for around half an hour.

MNS workers vandalise toll naka in Nashik after Raj Thackeray’s son is stopped

The incident took place at 2.09am when the MNS workers were crossing the naka. The convoy was stopped by toll naka staffers after the FASTag scanner failed to read the tags.

According to Nashik superintendent of police Shahaji Umap, who visited the spot after the incident, the workers got agitated after being stopped and started vandalising the toll plaza. “The fast tags on their cars were blacklisted and not working. We are registering a case against the accused.”

The highway is owned by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and two stages of the project were commissioned in 2023, one by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the second by chief minister Eknath Shinde.

MSRDC managing director Radheshyam Mopalwar said, “The superintendent of police is taking further action in the case.”

MNS leader and spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande said the staffers spoke rudely to them. “The toll naka staff stopped the convoy of Amit Thackeray and spoke with our men rudely and asked who is Amit Thackeray. Our workers were enraged and then they reacted in anger.’’

While general secretary of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (students wing) Akhil Chitre who is on a statewide tour with Amit Thackeray tried denying that MNS workers had any involvement in the incident, “We were stopped at Gonde toll naka. All our cars have fast tags and the bar was not scanning. The staff told us that there was a problem. He also called up his manager who told the staff that the fast tag has to match. We waited and left later. Our workers came to know much later about the incident.”

Some years back, the MNS had started an agitation against toll nakas. Their contention was that the government was charging much more toll than needed. Raj Thackeray was once detained while going to lead an anti-toll agitation. This fight stopped suddenly. After the BJP government came to power, the then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the closure of some nakas and the MNS took all the credit.