Raj Thackeray Threatens to Set Toll Booths Ablaze if Small Vehicles are Not Exempted

Mumbai: MNS President Raj Thackeray on Monday said his party workers would set ablaze toll booths if the government does not ensure that small vehicles are exempted from paying toll taxes. Describing the toll booths as a major “scam”, Mr. Thackeray said that it has become a means of livelihood for politicians in Maharashtra.

Referring to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s statement on Sunday in which he said small vehicles are exempted from paying tolls, the MNS leader said that he will discuss the issue with Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde in a few days. “I will see what the government’s response is. Thereafter, MNS workers will go to all the toll collection posts, and ensure that toll is not collected from all the small vehicles. If the government takes action against us, then we shall burn those toll booths,” he said.

The MNS chief further alleged that all political parties have come to power in the state in the last few years by promising to make the state toll-free, but none of the have implemented their election promises made in this regard. He questioned why the same companies keep getting toll collection contracts every year.

Alleging that toll booths are a means of livelihood for many politicians, Mr. Thackeray said, “They get some share from the money collected at toll booths every day, every week and every month. Hence, toll booths will never be closed down, and you will also never get good roads.”

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Mr. Thackeray also played old videos of late Gopinath Munde, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Ajit Pawar, who have opposed toll collection in the state. “From Uddhav Thackeray to Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, all promised to make Maharashtra toll-free. But still, the toll does not stop because everyone’s finances are involved. So no matter how bad the roads are, all these political parties will never allow tolls collection to be stopped. But when will people wake up to this?” he asked.

After losing power in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress have also been demanding that toll collection in the state should be stopped. Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat targeted the state government over the same issue in Nasik and said, “All major roads in the state have potholes. It has become risky to drive the vehicle on these roads. If this government does not want to fix these potholes and make road conditions better, then why are they collecting the toll? This triple-engine government has made Maharashtra miserable.”

Earlier in August this year, Aaditya Thackeray had written a letter to the BMC demanding that toll tax collection at the entry points of Mumbai should be stopped. He has also promised that the toll tax will be scrapped after his party returns to power.