After the assault on Member of Parliament (MP) Baliram Jadhav and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Hitendra Thakur and their supporters, allegedly by angry villagers who protested the induction of 53 villages and four local councils into newly-formed Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) on Sunday, the entire Vasai-Nalasopara-Virar belt witnessed a complete bandh on Monday.
In a bid to avert the occurrence of any untoward incident, three platoons of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) along with the police from Thane rural, Vasai and Nalasopara have been deployed in sensitive pockets. “Though the law and order situation is tensed, it is under control. So far, 22 people have been detained,” said Madhukar Pande, superintendent of police, Thane Rural. Meanwhile, provoked by Jadhav and Thakur’s attempts to pacify the agitation, all shops, commercial establishments, educational institutions, public and private modes of transport remained closed. The students and the office-goers too were sent back home. The angry protestors also tried to disturb the traffic by blocking road with trees and poles which were cleared by the police later.
The ‘Gaon Bachao Aandolan Samiti’ continued with their fast-unto-death, which began on Sunday to protest the induction, in front of the Tahsildar office amidst heavy police force. The Samiti had planned a rasta roko at five places in Vasai-Virar and Nalasopara and a bandh on Monday.
According to Nalasopara police station, the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) MP Baliram Jadhav and party’s legislator Hitendra Thakur had visited a village near Nalasopara to attend a public meeting over the induction of 53 villages and four councils in VVMC and to convince people against their planned agitation on Monday. After the meeting, Thakur and Jadhav, along with their supporters, were returning to Virar. As their cars passed through Wagholi Village, a mob of around 150 to 200 angry protesters intercepted the fleet. After a heated argument over the induction issue with Thakur, the mob turned violent and started pelting stones. They then allegedly attacked the cars with sticks and ransacked nine vehicles. They also bashed up the people inside them.
Thakur and Jadhav were also beaten up and they suffered injuries. To prevent the situation from going out of hands, Thakur ordered his body guards to refrain from firing. The mob also pulled down and burnt the posters and banners of Hitendra Thakur.
Meanwhile, the Nalasopara police reached the spot and dispersed the mob. The injured MP and MLA along with 15 supporters were taken to Sanjeevani Hospital and were discharged on Monday morning.
The police have registered three cases, one for attacking police personnel while the other two for violence and disturbing law and order situation.
