Maharashtra: Will meet CM Shinde to discuss toll hike issue, says MNS chief Raj Thackeray

Raj Thackeray met party leader Avinash Jadhav who has been on a hunger strike for the last four days to protest the toll hike that came into effect on October 1

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday said that he would meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss the issue of toll hike against which his party workers have been protesting, reported the PTI.

Raj Thackeray spoke to reporters in Thane district of Maharashtra after meeting party leader Avinash Jadhav who has been on a hunger strike for the last four days to protest the toll hike that came into effect on October 1, as per the PTI.

The MNS chief said that he would meet CM Shinde in the next couple of days and discuss the toll hike and other issues faced by the people of the state.

The previous Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in its election manifesto had promised to make Maharashtra free of toll, but the promise was not kept, he said, according to the PTI.

The news agency reported, Raj Thackeray further claimed that Shinde had in the past filed a petition in court regarding toll and later withdrew it and questioned on whose instruction he had taken the plea back.

The MNS leader urged the citizens to retaliate and revolt to make the government realise its mistakes.

The ruling party should keep in mind that the elections are around the corner and it can't afford to anger citizens, Raj Thackeray said.

Road repairs carried out repeatedly are a vicious cycle involving work order, tender, commission and so on, and no one can stop this, he said.

Whatever the ruling party promises during elections is a bluff. The citizens should realise this while exercising their franchise, the MNS chief said.

Meanwhile, last month, the activists from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had staged a protest in Thane city in opposition to the upcoming toll charge increase at five entry points to Mumbai. The protest was led by Avinash Jadhav, the chief of the MNS units in Thane and Palghar, with demonstrators waving party flags, displaying banners, and vociferously denouncing the toll hike.

The toll charges at five key entry points to Mumbai, namely Dahisar (Western Express Highway), Airoli, Vashi (Sion-Panvel Highway), Mulund West (LBS Marg), and Eastern Express Highway, are poised to see an increase starting from October 1, the news agency report had stated.

(with PTI inputs)

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