Following orders from the party patriarch Raj Thackeray, members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) went on a rampage and vandalised several booths in the state to prevent them from collecting toll.
<img title="MNS members march towards Dahisar toll plaza" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/jan/Dahisar-toll-plaza-1.jpg" alt="MNS members march towards Dahisar toll plaza" /> MNS members march towards Dahisar toll plaza
A few of the booths that sustained damage in the rampage were located at Dahisar, Mulund, Airoli, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Pune, Aurangabad, Sangli, Nagpur and Khalapur on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. However, later in the day tollbooths functioned normally under heavy police cover.
<img title="Police platoon stand guard outside Dahisar toll plaza to prevent MNS workers from vandalising it. Pics/Nimesh Dave" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/jan/Dahisar-toll-plaza-2.jpg" alt="Police platoon stand guard outside Dahisar toll plaza to prevent MNS workers from vandalising it. Pics/Nimesh Dave" /> Police platoon stand guard outside Dahisar toll plaza to prevent MNS workers from vandalising it. Pics/Nimesh Dave
In 2012, MNS workers had gone on a similar rampage, vandalising tollbooths across the state. Speaking at the inauguration function of the party office in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, Thackeray ordered: &ldquo;If there is any instance of toll collection, just crush the toll plazas. If there is a traffic jam let it be, let the situation take its own course. Do not bother, just don&rsquo;t pay toll at any of the booths.&rdquo;
<img title="An attendant operates from a broken booth window at Mulund toll Plaza yesterday. Pic/Sameer Markande" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/jan/Mulund-toll-plaza.jpg" alt="An attendant operates from a broken booth window at Mulund toll Plaza yesterday. Pic/Sameer Markande" /> An attendant operates from a broken booth window at Mulund toll Plaza yesterday. Pic/Sameer Markande
Toll plazas operated by the Mumbai Entry Point Limited (MEPL), which collects toll at five entry points to the city, bore the brunt of Thackeray&rsquo;s diktat. Around 10 pm on Sunday, MNS workers vandalised the tollbooth at Dahisar, followed by Mulund toll plaza on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and Airoli toll plaza on Mulund-Airoli Road.
MEPL Director Jayant Mahiskar said, &ldquo;On Sunday night the workers of a political party reached our toll plazas at Dahisar, Mulund and Airoli following which we registered a complaint at local police stations. We have also provided CCTV footage to the police officials, so that they could initiate appropriate action.&rdquo;
He added that damage was done by MNS workers to the property. Toll collection at all the booths went smoothly under police protection yesterday. &ldquo;We suffered losses due to the damage done to property, but at this point it will be too early to comment on the same.&rdquo;
MNS MLA Pravin Darekar and party workers protested at Dahisar toll plaza yesterday, leading to traffic jams. Darekar and a few of his men were detained, following which toll collection resumed and traffic attained normalcy. Vashi toll plaza was vandalised in the evening.
At 9.15 pm on Sunday, the Airoli-Mulund bridge road was blocked by an unknown group, whose members were later identified as MNS workers. &ldquo;A passer-by, Gyanesh Honmukhi, spotted an MNS flag on the dashboard of one of the cars of the vandals,&rdquo; said a security guard at the Airoli toll plaza. &ldquo;The Airoli check naka was blocked. MNS members pelted stones at the booth.&rdquo;
They damaged cabins and computers using lathis and threatened the attendants.&rdquo; The MNS has justified its stand against toll collection, citing the pothole-ridden roads in the state. Kandivli resident Jatin Doshi said, &ldquo;I am happy that the MNS is protesting against the toll collection. But I hope this isn&rsquo;t a political gimmick. Rather than vandalising toll plazas, the party should take up this issue with government and find an amicable solution.&rdquo;

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MNS workers go on rampage after party chief Raj Thackeray asks them to crush toll plazas; diktat issued at the inauguration of party office in Navi Mumbai on Sunday

MNS workers vandalise tollbooths across state

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MNS workers vandalise tollbooths across state

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