MAHARASHTRA: Tension flared at the Dhumka Tondgaon Toll Plaza in Washim district as workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) vandalised the toll booths on Wednesday, protesting against what they termed lack of basic amenities and incomplete road construction leading to Kanergaon.
Led by MNS Vahan Sena district chief Gajanan Vairagade and city president Umesh Tolmare, the protest turned violent as party workers stormed the toll plaza and smashed equipment with sticks. Multiple videos circulating on social media show MNS activists damaging booths while raising slogans against the toll collection system.
The protestors alleged that toll tax was being collected illegally, despite the fact that basic infrastructure—including roads, lighting, and safety measures—remains incomplete or substandard. “People are being looted without getting the promised facilities,” one protester was heard saying.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident, though no arrests have been reported so far.
The vandalism comes amid growing unrest across Maharashtra over regional issues and alleged neglect of Marathi-speaking communities. On Tuesday, a large protest march was held in the Mira Bhayandar area near Mumbai, spearheaded by MNS and supported by members of Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), defending Marathi pride (‘asmita’) following an alleged attack on a shopkeeper for refusing to speak Marathi.
The demonstration turned chaotic, with several activists—including women—detained by police, who attempted to block access to the protest venue by confining participants in a nearby banquet hall.
The atmosphere grew more volatile as Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik was heckled and forced to leave by angry demonstrators during his visit to the protest site. Meanwhile, the political rhetoric surrounding the language debate intensified.
Former BJP MP Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirhua stoked further controversy, challenging the Thackeray cousins to throw him out of Mumbai for speaking Bhojpuri, while BJP MP Nishikant Dubey escalated tensions with a provocative statement, “patak patak ke marenge,” targeting the Shiv Sena leadership.
The MNS-led toll protest in Washim is the latest flashpoint in Maharashtra’s politically charged atmosphere, where public anger over governance issues, linguistic identity, and infrastructure failures is spilling into the streets with increasing frequency.
