A clash between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers in Ahmednagar on Tuesday night triggered violence across the State on Wednesday.
MNS president Raj Thackeray, who is on a tour of the State, said in a rally in Solapur last week that the NCP had failed to address the drought in the State. In response, NCP workers allegedly attacked Mr. Thackeray’s convoy around midnight on Tuesday. MNS workers retaliated, and soon there was stone throwing from both sides, Ahmednagar police officials said. A case of rioting has been registered against 77 persons. Of them 70 belong to the NCP and seven are from the MNS.
In Mumbai, MNS workers threw stones and forcefully shut down shops on Wednesday. On Tuesday night, they burned effigies of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Ajit Pawar.
MNS MLA Ram Kadam staged a rasta roko in Khar on Tuesday night in suburban Mumbai, burning posters and throwing stones at the NCP office. The police arrested six activists who were released on bail. NCP offices were targeted in Antop Hill. The party office in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building was also targeted, where unidentified people threw ink on a photo of Mr. Pawar.
Soon after the Ahmednagar clash, the Pune NCP office was attacked by unknown persons, police said. MNS workers attacked NCP offices in Beed and Solapur and burned effigies of NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. In Yavatmal district, state transport buses were attacked by MNS workers.
