All highways in Maharashtra will be blocked on Wednesday: Raj Thackeray

A day before the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s toll-plaza agitation, chief Raj Thackeray said that his party will not indulge in any vandalism but all highways will be blocked across the state from 9 am on Wednesday.

He said he was not opposed to toll tax being charged but said that he was opposed to the manner in which it was being collected. "Every rupee collected at toll plazas has to be accounted for," said Thackeray.

Meanwhile, the police served a notice to him asking the leader to refrain from any activity that would create law and order problems.

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"The notice under section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code 1973 has been served to Raj Thackeray this (on Tuesday) morning, asking him to respect the law of the land as well as refrain from taking up any activity that would cause law and order problem tomorrow (on Wednesday)," a senior official told PTI.

Thackeray, who is facing multiple cases for instigating his party cadres to vandalise toll booths on various highways a few days back, had said on Sunday during a rally in Pune that he was determined to continue his stir until the government has made collection of road tax "transparent".

However, as a preventive measure, police stations in the city have started serving notices to MNS leaders and workers since on Monday under section 149 of the Criminal

Procedure Code 1973, which empowers police officers to prevent cognisable offences, police sources said.

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In the notice, the police have asked MNS members to desist from carrying out any activity that would trigger law and order problems. "If activists resort to any illegal activities, action would be initiated against them," the notice read.

During an MNS function at Navi Mumbai on January 26, he had directed MNS workers and citizens not to pay toll even if it meant that they had to resort to violence to prevent it.

Since then, toll booths across Maharashtra have been allegedly vandalised by MNS activists.

During his Pune rally, Thackeray had announced a statewide road blockade agitation on Wednesday, to press for the abolition of toll and also dared the Maharashtra government to arrest him.

Following this, the police began serving notices to the party members, who had actively participated in various agitations earlier, which had caused law and order problems.

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