We are with ST employees, not their leadership: Sharad Pawar

Many of the protesters hurled footwear at Sharad Pawar’s home on Friday. Pics/ANI

The strike by MSRTC employees took an ugly turn on Friday after over 100 protesting staffers stormed Silver Oak, the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar in south Mumbai, shouted slogans, and flung stones and footwear. The incident happened a day after the Bombay HC asked the striking workers to resume duty by April 22. Political leaders wondered what had cooked overnight in the employees' camp that celebrated the court's directives on Thursday.

Striking MSRTC employees outside Azad Maidan on Friday. Pics/Bipin Kokate

Pawar advised his party workers to stand in support of the MSRTC employees, but not with the leadership that has misguided the protesters. Urging his partymen to keep calm, Pawar said, "We are with the employees, but not with the faulty leadership, which we must oppose. We have to oppose if someone is taking the employees on the wrong path. You have shown that we are together in the time of crisis," Pawar told a gathering after the police detained the hooligans, including men and women.

CM condemns attack

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said he has asked the police to find out those behind the violence. "There has been no precedent to such incident. No leaders or their families have been attacked in the past," he said, cautioning those who wish to exploit the employees' distress for their own gains.

Sharad Pawar; his daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule appealing to protesters to keep calm

"Those who instigated violence and provoked employees must face the law. I have instructed the home minister in this regard," added the CM, appealing to the MVA supporters to not retaliate or act in a manner that will disturb law and order in the state. "The government has been with, and shall remain with the ST employees and their families," he assured in a statement.

Daughter faces mob

Pawar's MP daughter Supriya Sule rushed to Silver Oak to brave the angry protesters who stormed the premises around 3.30 pm. She said she was prepared to discuss the issue peacefully.

The angry protesters blamed Pawar, the key architect of MVA, for not doing enough for them. "Some 120 employees of MSRTC have died by suicide since the strike began. These are not suicides but murders, caused by the state's policy.... Sharad Pawar has not done anything to resolve the issue," a protester told reporters.

"We respect yesterday's [Thursday's] decision of the Bombay High Court, but we were discussing the issues with the state government which has been elected by the people. This government did nothing for us. The Chanakya of this government, Sharad Pawar, is also responsible for our losses," said another protesting worker.

Cops outside Yellow Gate police station where the arrested protesters were taken

The violent agitation echoed elsewhere in the state. NCP workers took to the streets, blocked highways to condemn the act. They demanded that the ST employees' leader and lawyer Gunaratna Sadavarte be arrested for planning and provoking the attack.

MVA leaders and ministers visited Pawar's residence to protest the attack-like agitation. They said such a violent protest at the politician's residence had never happened in the past, and suspected provocation by the people who want to create a law and order situation in the state.

Jt-CP to probe

Home minister Dilip Walse Patil assured that the guilty, including the ‘external forces' would be brought to book and punished. He deputed Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nagre Patil to probe the incident.

Environment minister Aaditya Thackeray said the attack was triggered by a political motive. "No such incident has happened in the state till date," he said. His father and CM Uddhav Thackeray spoke with Pawar over the phone.

Pawar's grandnephew and MLA Rohit Pawar blamed the attack on the BJP. "Sadavarte spoke like a BJPs spokesperson [in front of the employees]," he said. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut suspected an ‘unidentified force' behind the attack that was aimed at creating trouble for the MVA government. Sadavarte, who has been fighting the court battle on behalf of the protesters, and his wife were arrested late at night.

NCP leader and housing minister Jitendra Ahwad said that the NCP workers would not respond to the attackers, but condemned the attack on their leaders' residence. "The police will find out whether the protesters were the ST employees, their families or the outsiders who were brought specifically to throw stones and footwear," he added.

Security up at Parab homes

Transport minister Anil Parab's residences were secured following the attack on Pawar's Silver Oak. "The inquiry will reveal who is behind the attack," he said, adding that the people who provoked the employees will face the law.

Parab reiterated that, as per the HC's directive, the government will not take action against the employees who resume duty on or before April 22. He said the employees will have to choose between the HC and their leader Sadavarte, as far as ending the strike was concerned.

Sadavarte told the media that it was not an attack but an emotional outburst of the agitating employees, including the widows who lost their ST employee husbands to suicides and COVID-19.

Completely wrong: Fadnavis

Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis condemned the incident. "The incident happened at senior leader Sharad Pawar saheb's residence is completely wrong. Whoever is the leader or the party… the agitation at their residence cannot be endorsed. I strongly condemn the incident," he tweeted, and expected that the grievances and demands should be placed on an appropriate platform and heard
as well.

Union minister Narayan Rane blamed the protest on the government's highhandedness in dealing with the strike. "We have seen what happens when employees get upset. The employees were threatened yesterday [Thursday] for resuming the duty," he said.

‘No clue about trigger'

Despite announcements on speakers to vacate Azad Maidan at 6 pm, a majority of the protesting MSRTC employees stayed put at the venue, prompting the police to beef up security there.

Officials said 107 protesters, including 23 women, were arrested for the agitation outside Pawar's residence. Late in the evening, they were taken for medical tests to St. George's Hospital. They would be produced before the court on Saturday.

Asked about the trigger for the aggression at Pawar's home, those at Azad Maidan said they had no clue. "We have no idea about what happened there, but we will follow what our leaders say," an employee from Akola said.

The protesters said trade unions under Pawar's leadership had been one of the key unions working for employees' welfare for many years. Asked why they protested after rejoicing after the HC order, the employees had no satisfactory answers.

There is no clarity on who instigated the employees and what made them reach Pawar's house. While a few said it looks like a part of the larger conspiracy, a few said it was an impulsive decision because of the suicides of 120 employees.