Maharashtra state transport staffers pelt Sharad Pawar's home with stones

Small groups of employees were seen rushing towards the high-security Pawar residence in Silver Oaks Building, broke the security barricades, shouted slogans, and pelted stones, shoes at his home

In a shocking development, a large number of agitating employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) stormed at the home of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, and pelted stones and shoes.

Taking the Mumbai Police by surprise, the angry state transport staff including many women first staged a noisy demonstration demanding the merger of the MSRTC with the state government, and raised slogans against the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the Pawars.

Then small groups of the employees were seen rushing towards the high-security Pawar residence in Silver Oaks Building, broke the security barricades, shouted slogans, and pelted stones, shoes at their home.

Taken aback by the unexpected 'attack', NCP MP Supriya Sule, Pawar's daughter, rushed out of the home right into the midst of the agitating state transport workers crowding there and appealed to them to remain calm and sit for negotiations.

"With folded hands, I am pleading to you... please keep calm, my parents and my children are there at home. Don't indulge in such behaviour," said Sule fervently with chaos all around her.

Pawar is accorded Z-Plus category security and the unprecedented attack has raised questions on possible intelligence failure, particularly since the home department is handled by NCP's Minister Dilip Walse-Patil.

Sule repeatedly urged the ST workers that she was "prepared to sit for negotiations at this minute", but they were in no mood to listen.

Soon afterwards, a posse of senior police officers rushed there and brought the situation under control, pushing back the ST employees who have been on the warpath since the past five months.

The transport staffers' action -- the transport department is held by Shiv Sena Minister Ani Parab -- evoked strong condemnation from political circles and the social media.

MVA leaders blamed one of their leaders Adv. Gunratna Sadavarte for the assault on the Pawar home despite negotiations underway with the government at the highest level.

--IANS

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