Raj Thackeray cancels meet on toll collection with CM

A day after chief minister Prithviraj Chavan warned Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists against disrupting law and order at toll plazas, MNS chief Raj Thackeray cancelled his meeting with Chavan on the issue on Friday.

A day after chief minister Prithviraj Chavan warned Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists against disrupting law and order at toll plazas, MNS chief Raj Thackeray cancelled his meeting with Chavan on the issue on Friday.

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Thackeray had, on July 25, asked vehicle owners in the state to stop paying toll and had directed MNS workers to stay put at toll plazas to facilitate free passage. Following this, police had to be deployed at toll plazas.

Thackeray, along with his party delegates, was scheduled to meet Chavan on Friday. He was to submit a report on the survey on the revenue collection at toll plazas carried out by MNS workers over the last month. Based on the findings, Thackeray had alleged that there were large-scale irregularities in the allotment of contracts to toll collectors. He had also challenged the state government's method of deciding toll rates and the period for which the duty is to be collected. He was also expected to discuss the recognition of Marathi schools in Pune.

Thackeray's close aides said he cancelled the meeting owing to ill health.

"Thackeray has been stressed out because of the ongoing [his cousin Uddhav's and uncle Bal Thackeray's] health issues in the family in the last one month," the aide said.

Another aide said that as the day was packed with events such as Uddhav's birthday, Bal Thackeray's hospitalisation and Sharad Pawar's programme in Mumbai, he felt that the event would not generate enough interest in the state and the media.