Thane, Oct 28 Hundreds of supporters of slain Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar blocked Thane’s arterial Ghodbunder Road and burnt tyres, demanding arrest of a former mayor and her husband, who belong to Shiv Sena, causing a massive traffic jam overnight, police said.
The blockade left several commuters stranded for hours, forcing many to walk several kilometres to reach home.
At around 3 am, police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd blocking the road. Some protesters retaliated by hurling stones at police personnel, injuring two of them, said DCP Prashant Kadam.
“Some agitators were also injured. Police have detained five persons and registered three FIRs at Kapurbawdi, Chitalsar, and Kasarvadawali police stations. A total of 150 people were shown as accused for unlawful assembly, rioting, and obstructing public servants,” he said on Wednesday, adding that protesters burnt tyres and damaged two public vehicles.
The roadblock caused severe traffic disruptions along Ghodbunder Road, stretching into long queues of vehicles, affecting traffic toward the Eastern Express Highway, and leaving commuters, senior citizens, and ambulances stranded.
Several videos of the agitation and long traffic disruptions went viral on social media, with some users claiming the blockade lasted six to seven hours on the busy road in Maharashtra’s Thane city.
Traffic on the route returned to normal on Wednesday morning, police said.
Pradeep Purnekar’s son, Ram Purnekar, later issued a public apology via social media, expressing regret for the immense inconvenience caused to commuters and citizens.
Ram Purnekar has demanded the arrest of former Thane Mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra Shinde in connection with his father’s murder on September 29.
The protest began after police detained Ram Purnekar on Tuesday afternoon while attempting to march towards the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Thane. The detention triggered a protest at Naupada police station, drawing local leaders from the opposition parties.
Later, hundreds of people blocked the Ghodbunder Road in areas under Kapurbawdi, Chitalsar and Kasarvadawali police stations in support of the demand for the arrest of the former mayor and her husband.
During the massive agitation, protesters burnt tyres at several locations.
A commuter stuck in the jam posted on Instagram around 2.30 am on Wednesday, asking when the “bandh” would end. “Stuck in traffic for over 2 hours… I’m just a common man who wakes up at 6 am, travels all the way to Goregaon (in Mumbai) for work, and now can’t even get back home,” he wrote.
Another traveller, returning from Mumbai airport, posted a video on Facebook late at night showing traffic at a standstill in both directions. He claimed people were forced to walk 4 to 5 km to reach home.
Other social media users shared clips of protesters setting tyres on fire on and under the Manpada bridge, which brought vehicular movement on the road to a halt.
Traffic returned to normal by around 4 am on Wednesday, an official from the Thane police control room said.
Pradeep Purnekar, the Shiv Sena (UBT) Manpada ward/division chief, was attacked and killed in his office by unidentified assailants on September 29.
An old political dispute and rivalry linked to upcoming Thane civic polls prima facie prompted the attack, according to police.
Five suspects have been arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Earlier on Tuesday, as Ram Purnekar attempted to head toward the Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s bungalow to stage a peaceful protest, police intercepted him in the Wagle Estate area.
Former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde appeared before the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) office for questioning on Tuesday.
Pradeep Purnekar’s family members alleged that the police are operating under intense political pressure.
Maharashtra minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik said on Wednesday that his party colleague Meenakshi Shinde should step down till the completion of the probe into the murder of Pradeep Purnekar. She is currently a corporator and an office-bearer in Shiv Sena.
He also clarified that it was his personal opinion.
Meanwhile, tensions flared up again on Wednesday as leaders and activists of the ruling Shiv Sena marched to the Naupada police station to formally lodge a complaint against alleged offensive slogans and remarks targeting Eknath Shinde.
A large delegation of Shiv Sena leaders, led by Thane MP Naresh Mhaske and other senior leaders, marched to the police station.
They met with Additional Police Commissioner Ashok Dudhe and submitted a formal demand for strict legal action and the immediate registration of criminal cases against those responsible for making defamatory statements and raising offensive slogans against Eknath Shinde.
“Attempts to defame Eknath Shinde will not be tolerated,” Mhaske said, adding that individuals levelling allegations over the Purnekar case must provide concrete evidence rather than resorting to politically motivated mudslinging.
He also called for police action against those who instigated road blockades and burnt tyres during the violent demonstrations.
MLC Ravindra Phatak also condemned the “deliberate attempts” to tarnish Shinde’s reputation.
An all-party demonstration is scheduled for Thursday evening to protest against “rising crime” in Thane, which is set to be attended by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut.
Mhaske warned that any attempt to speak against Eknath Shinde on Thane’s soil would meet with strong resistance from “original” Shiv Sena workers.
(PTI News)
