10 am: Raj Thackeray at Sahyadri, in talks with CM
Having arrived at the state guest house in Sahyadri at a little past 9, Raj Thackeray is currently holding discussions with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and a phalanx of senior state leaders.
Interestingly, Thackeray was accompanied by senior regional language journalists.
The chief minister's team includes Ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Ranjit Kamble, as well as Chief Secretary J S Saharia and key officials. There is a huge police presence outside the state guest house Sahyadri at Malabar Hill.
9.30 am: Key meeting today on toll agitation by MNS
Raj Thackeray / Firstpost
Having taken to the streets on Wednesday to protest what they deem illegal toll being collected by road contractors across the state, the future course of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's agitation will be decided after the key meeting between MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today.
The MNS has said they will continue to protest against the system until there is greater transparency.
"We have been fighting for this issue for the last two years. We have raised the issue with the chief minister for four times and he raised his hands saying he cannot do anything about it. We went to courts as well, but all we got was different dates of appearance. We had to recourse to ask people to not pay toll. This is of the contractors, by the contractors and for the contractors," MNS leader Shalini Thackeray said during a debate on CNN-IBN show India at 9.
Over 2300 MNS activists including chief Raj Thackeray and party MLAs took to the streets in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The Congress-NCP earlier described the MNS agitation against toll tax as a "stunt" with an eye on elections and congratulated the Maharashtra government for ensuring that rule of law prevailed.
Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant told reporters that the MNS 'raasta roko' was a "fiasco".
The Mumbai Police, meanwhile, took preventive action against any untoward incident that might have taken place due to the MNS agitation.
The MNS chief's convoy heading towards Vashi toll plaza was stopped near Somaiya ground, on Eastern Express Highway, Chunabhatti at 10.40 am on Wednesday.
"He was taken to RCF police station and was detained under sections 68 and 69 of Bombay Police Act. He was let off at around 12.40 pm," Hemant Nagrale, acting Mumbai police commissioner told mediapersons on Wednesday evening.
Apart from MNS chief, party MLAs Bala Nandgaonkar, Nitin Sardesai, Pravin Darekar, Mangesh Sangale, Shishir Shinde and Ram Kadam were also detained by police. In all, the police have taken preventive action, which includes issuing notices, detention and arrests, against 2,327 MNS activists since Tuesday evening
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