Day before MNS rasta roko on toll, Raj Thackeray gets police notice

MUMBAI: Two days after the MNS chief Raj Thackeray announced a state-wide 'rasta roko' on Wednesday to protest against toll collection in the state, police today served a notice to him asking the leader to refrain from any activity that would create law and order problems.

"The notice under section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) 1973 has been served to Raj Thackeray this morning, asking him to respect the law of the land as well as refrain from taking up any activity that would cause law and order problem tomorrow," a senior official told PTI.

Raj, who is facing multiple cases for instigating his party cadres to vandalise toll booths on various highways a few days back, had said on Sunday during a rally in Pune that he was determined to continue his stir until the government has made collection of road tax "transparent".

However, as a preventive measure, police stations in the city have started serving notices to MNS leaders and workers since yesterday under section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) 1973, which empowers police officers to prevent cognisable offences, police sources said.

In the notice, the police have asked MNS members to desist from carrying out any activity that would trigger law and order problems. "If activists resort to any illegal activities, action would be initiated against them," the notice reads.

During an MNS function at Navi Mumbai on January 26, he had directed MNS workers and citizens not to pay toll even if it meant that they had to resort to violence to prevent it.

Since then, toll booths across Maharashtra have been allegedly vandalised by MNS activists.

During his Pune rally, Thackeray had announced a statewide road blockade agitation tomorrow, to press for the abolition of toll and also dared the Maharashtra government to arrest him.

Following this, police began serving notices to the party members, who had actively participated in various agitations earlier, which had caused law and order problems.