MSRTC employees stage surprise protest outside Sharad Pawar's house; MVA leaders condemn `attack'

Pawar, who was seen leaving his residence in a car later, said in a video message that the MSRTC workers have been misled by an unwise leadership.Leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi -- coalition of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress -- condemned the incident, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray saying that those who instigated and carried out this attack would be punished.Protesters gathered outside Silver Oak, Pawars residence on Pedder Road in south Mumbai, around 3 pm.Employees of the state transport body, which has over 90,000 persons on its payrolls, are on strike since November 2021.

A group of striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) staged a sudden and ferocious protest outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence here on Friday afternoon, accusing the veteran leader of not doing anything to help them.

While Pawar remained inside the house, his daughter and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule tried to reason with the protesters who numbered over a hundred, but in vain.

The police, who seemed to have been taken by surprise initially, eventually took away most of the protesters from the spot, and registered a case against 107 persons. They also detained Advocate Gunaratna Sadavarte, leader of the striking workers, for questioning with regard to the incident, an official said. Pawar, who was seen leaving his residence in a car later, said in a video message that the MSRTC workers have been misled by an unwise leadership.

Leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi -- coalition of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress -- condemned the incident, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray saying that those who instigated and carried out this ''attack'' would be punished.

Protesters gathered outside 'Silver Oak', Pawar's residence on Pedder Road in south Mumbai, around 3 pm.

Employees of the state transport body, which has over 90,000 persons on its payrolls, are on strike since November 2021. While Pawar's party is part of the ruling coalition, the transport portfolio is held by the Shiv Sena's Anil Parab.

The main demand of the striking workers is that the cash-strapped transport corporation be merged with the state government.

The protest came a day after the Bombay High Court asked the workers to resume duty by April 22. A group of MSRTC employees reached Pawar's residence and started shouting slogans against the former Union minister. Some protesters were also seen hurling footwear towards the house.

''Some 120 employees of MSRTC have died by suicide since the strike began. These are not suicides but murders, caused by the state's policy.... Sharad Pawar has not done anything to resolve the issue,'' a protester told reporters.

''This government did nothing for us. The Chanakya of this government, Sharad Pawar, is also responsible for our sufferings,'' said another worker.

Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule tried to placate the protesters.

''I am ready to hold talks with you. Kindly cooperate...My father, mother and daughter are inside the house. I am ready to hold talks with you. Let me ensure their safety first and I will continue talking with the protesters,'' she said.

Pawar himself said in a video message shared by the NCP that one need not be surprised by what happened, and ''if the leader is not wise, it has its effect on the workers.'' “We are with them (the workers). But not with the wrong leadership,'' he added.

Chief Minister Thackeray condemned the incident, saying that such targeting of leaders and their families was unprecedented in Maharashtra.

''I have asked the home minister to take strict action against the instigators and perpetrators of the attack. No one should take law into their hands after this incident,'' he said.

His government never ignored genuine demands of the striking workers, and even the Bombay High Court has asked them to return to work, the CM pointed out.

Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, who belongs to the NCP, said there will be a probe into the ''unknown forces'' behind the attack as well as the ''intelligence failure''.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said the incident outside Pawar's residence was ''wrong by all means'', and such agitations cannot be supported. ''I strongly condemn the incident,” the former chief minister said, while also adding that MSRTC workers have been protesting for over five months and their demands should be addressed in a proper way. Congress leader and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat demanded strict action against those who instigated the protest.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the protest was orchestrated by those for whom the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra is an ''eyesore''.

State Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray visited Pawar's residence after learning about the protests, sources said. In the evening, police registered an FIR against 107 persons for rioting and conspiracy at Gamdevi police station. There are 23 women among accused, a police official said.

The police also asked MSRTC workers who had been staging a sit-in at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai since the strike began to vacate the area immediately.