MNS, Congress & hawkers clash again at Vikhroli

MNS workers had initially supposedly attacked several shopkeepers for not displaying nameplates in Marathi

Three Maharashtra Navnirman Sena(MNS) party workers allegedly attacked several shopkeepers for not displaying nameplates in Marathi. The three MNS workers alleged that in retaliation they were attacked by Congress party workers who supported the illegal hawkers.One of the MNS party workers has been seriously injured in the fiasco.

Upendra Shewale, MNS chief (Vikhroli) visited several shops along with party worker Vishwajeet Dholap and Vinod Shinde, asking the shopkeepers to put up the nameplates of the shops in Marathi. They got into heated arguments with the shop owners and allegedly assaulted them and vandalised property.As per the allegations made by the MNS party workers, the two Congress party workers Abdullah Ansari (33) and Rizwan Malik (40) gathered around the shop and started beating up all three MNS leaders. In a fit of anger, the two accused hit Shewale and Shinde and assaulted Dholap on his head with a paver block.Dholap was admitted to Krantiveer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule hospital at Vikhroli where he is presently undergoing treatment. He has sustained serious injuries on his head and arms.

The Vikhroli police have registered two separate cases against four MNS party workers and two Congress workers.

According to Akhilesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7), “Six accused have been arrested for attempt to murder (Section 307), criminal intimidation (Section 506), vandalism of property (Section 425) and common intention (Section 34) of the Indian Penal Code.The accused were produced at the Vikhroli Magistrate court and have been remanded to two days police custody.”

Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray and MNS leader Nitin Sardesai visited Dholap at the Mahatma Phule hospital on Sunday night at 2 am.

On October 29, four MNS workers were injured in a clash between the party workers and the hawkers at Malad. MNS zonal head Sushant Malavade was grievously injured after a group of hawkers allegedly attacked him with iron rods just metres away from the Malad police station.