Apna Dal (S) MLA, supporters clash with toll plaza employees in Barabanki

Supporters of Ram Niwas Verma, an MLA of ruling BJPs ally Apna Dal, and employees of a toll plaza clashed allegedly over toll collection at a plaza after which the legislator sat on a dharna in protest here on Friday.The SDM Sadar and Ramnagar Circle Officer, who reached the spot, somehow pacified the protesters to end their protest.The MLA from Nanpara in Bahraich district, who was on his way to Lucknow, has alleged that he had stopped at the Sahavpur toll plaza when its workers, armed with sticks and weapons, attacked their vehicles and started to pelt them with stones.

Supporters of Ram Niwas Verma, an MLA of ruling BJP's ally Apna Dal, and employees of a toll plaza clashed allegedly over toll collection at a plaza after which the legislator sat on a dharna in protest here on Friday.

The SDM Sadar and Ramnagar Circle Officer, who reached the spot, somehow pacified the protesters to end their protest.

The MLA from Nanpara in Bahraich district, who was on his way to Lucknow, has alleged that he had stopped at the Sahavpur toll plaza when its workers, armed with sticks and weapons, attacked their vehicles and started to pelt them with stones. Window panes on several vehicles were damaged, the MLA told newspersons.

This afternoon MLA Ram Niwas Verma was going to attend the national convention of the party in Lucknow along with his supporters in 25 vehicles and had stopped on reaching Sahavpur toll plaza located near Masauli township.

After four or five vehicles of his convoy had passed, the toll workers attacked the other vehicles with sticks and weapons and pelted them with stones due to which the windows of many vehicles were broken, he said.

Somehow the security personnel were able to save my life , he said. In protest, the MLA sat on dharna along with his supporters on the spot in protest but Police somehow persuaded them to end their sit-in.

Additional Superintendent of Police Punendra Singh who along with Circle Officer Ramnagar, Binu Singh reached the spot, said that there was a scuffle and fight between the supporters of MLA Ram Niwas Verma and the toll plaza workers on the Sahavpur toll plaza located on Ramnagar road over the toll fees.

Directives have been issued to lodge an FIR on the basis of the CCTV footage and initiate appropriate action, the Additional SP said.

No toll official was present at the time of the incident at Sahavpur toll plaza.

The employees said on condition of anonymity that after the MLA had passed in his car, his supporters were leaving without paying toll that lead to a dispute.