MNS workers, hawkers clash in Vikhroli; 6 held

Soon, a large group of MNS workers reached the spot and attacked the hawkers. The Vikhroli police rushed the injured to a local hospital. The police registered two FIRs in the case. The first FIR was registered against the hawkers on charges of attempt to murder and rioting. “The hawkers hit some of the MNS workers on their head with bamboos. Two MNS workers are still unconscious. An attempt to murder case was registered and two accused Abdul Ansari and Rizwan Khan were arrested,” police said.

An officer said a second FIR was registered against MNS workers and four persons were arrested. The four were booked on charges of rioting and causing hurt by dangerous weapons. They were sent to judicial custody by the local court.

Additional Commissioner of Police (East region) Lakhmi Gautam, said: “We have maintained bandobast in the area to ensure there are no law and order problems. The situation is under control and majority of those involved in the incident have been arrested.”

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MNS leaders said their workers were distributing pamphlets to shopkeepers and traders asking them to change the nameplates of the establishments to Marathi. “While our workers were distributing the pamphlets, some local hawkers attacked our workers. Our workers retaliated but got injured by the hawkers who used weapons,” said an MNS leader.

“Our workers had nothing to do with hawkers there. It appears the hawkers, whose hand carts were removed, pre-planned the attack. It is a failure of law and order and the government must think about it. The government should not be governed by money and should contain flow of outsiders who are attacking people with weapons,” said Shalini Thackeray, MNS general secretary.