Maharashtra
Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray vowed to intensify the party's ongoing
protests against toll charges with him personally leading them by blocking
roads across the state starting February 12.
Breaking
his silence first time after police booked him for inciting the violence
against the toll plazas, Thackeray at a well-attended rally in Pune on Sunday
said, "On February 12, I will personally lead the party's agitation to
block roads in the state. Let them arrest and stop me if they have the
guts."
Thackeray
said his agitation would continue till the government shuts down those toll
plazas which have completed their tenures. "No one can buy me with
money," he warned.
In a
35-minutes speech, Thackeray launched an all out attack against the state
government for the toll. The toll issue has become a critical one in the state
with every party raking it up ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Thackeray
said he would personally not pay tolls despite notices sent to him asking for
payment, which he refused to pay earlier while traveling across the state.
Thackeray's
Sunday rally was seen as launch of election campaign though he denied it. For
Thackeray's rally, many MNS workers including his wife Sharmila, did not pay
toll on their way to Pune.
The
MNS chief mocked chief minister Prithviraj Chavan by calling him,
"Manmohan Singh without a turban," for his inability to solve the
issue. "I met the chief minister four times, apprising him about the toll
issue. He accepted that there were discrepancies in the toll collection but
expressed inability saying his hands were tied because of the alliance
government," Thackeray said. He addat that not paying toll was the only
option left to his party.
Thackeray
alleged that ministers in the ruling Congress-NCP government use money being
collected from the toll for the election funds. "I understand that closing
tolls totally could be financially unviable. But if the money being collected
from tolls is going into the pockets of ministers as election funds, then we will
not pay such toll."
Attacking
the Shiv Sena for taking him on during the recent toll agitation, Thackeray
said, "I don't know on whose side Shiv Sena is. Because when I fought
against toll, they criticised me like a supporter of government."
He
also criticised public works minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal in
his trademark mimicry. "Bhujbal says even the central government charges
toll. But center follows rules while charging toll, which is not happening in
the state."
Reffering
to Bhujbal's statement that toll is being charges in Gujrat also, MNS chief
said, "I have personally gone to Gujrat and saw all traffic rules are
being followed there."
The
MNS chief also criticised the state government for "lax approach" in
dealing with security matters. Thackeray said, anyone with the evil intention
can cause damage using the red becons, which are easily available in the open
market.
