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Journalism of Courage
The protest of the residents of 53 villages against the plan to include them in the newly-formed Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation turned violent on Friday following deterioration of Vasai MLA Vivek Pandits health. Pandit was on a hungerstrike for the demand since March 2.
The villagers who are opposing the merger plan fearing destruction of the green belt in the region,ended the protest only after Chief Minister Ashok Chavan assured Pandit that he would look into the matter.
The corporation was formed in July last after combining the municipal councils of Vasai,Virar,Manickpur and Nalasopara.
On Friday,doctors stated that his condition was critical and he needed immediate hospitalisation. Since Pandit was not cooperating,we had to forcibly admit him to Thane Civil Hospital, said S Pathare,additional superintendent of police Thane (rura l). The protestors resorted to violence and torched a bus at Nalasopara and vandalised two others at Vasai, added Pathare.
The police,in turn,resorted to a lathicharge. Nearly 18 cops and 45 protestors were injured.
Pandit was brought to Thane around 11 am,but he refused treatment. MLAs Subhash Desai and Ekanth Shinde tried to pacify Pandit,but failed.
It was only when Chavan promised that an all-party meeting would be held on the issue that Pandit withdrew the fast.
Pandit is the founder of Shramjeevi Sanghatana,an NGO known for raising issues pertaining to the tribal population.
He had contested as an Independent from Vasai and won with the backing of the Shiv Sena.
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