The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers vandalised the Tondgaon toll plaza on the Akola-Nanded highway in Washim district on Wednesday, alleging toll collection despite incomplete roadwork. A video of the incident, now viral on social media, shows MNS members smashing glass panes of toll booths using iron rods in broad daylight, causing significant damage to the property.
Raju Patil Kidse, MNS Washim district president, told NDTV that the agitation was the result of long-standing grievances regarding poor infrastructure and lack of basic amenities on the highway. “The road beyond the toll plaza is not ready for use, but toll collection has already started. Despite repeated memorandums, no action was taken. This is sheer exploitation,” he said.
Kidse specifically pointed to the stretch leading to Kanergaon village, alleging it remained unfinished while officials focused on collecting revenue. The act of vandalism, while condemned by many, is being seen by MNS as a reflection of the growing public frustration with administrative apathy.
Tensions rise in Mumbai region over Marathi identity protests
The Washim incident comes amid heightened political tensions involving the MNS in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. On Tuesday, parts of Mira-Bhayandar witnessed a large police deployment after MNS workers, along with members of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti and the Shiv Sena (UBT), attempted a protest march in defiance of police orders.
The rally, originally planned from Balaji Circle to Mira Road station, was denied permission under Section 144 of the IPC, which prohibits unlawful assembly. However, groups began gathering early in the day, leading to multiple halts by police citing security concerns. A sit-in protest followed, and the rally eventually concluded at Mira Road station.
The twin developments, in Washim and Mumbai, highlight the MNS’s renewed efforts to assert regional and linguistic identity amid allegations of government neglect and selective policing.
