MNS workers evict illegal hawkers outside Thane, Kalyan stations as 15-day deadline to authorities ends

MNS activists on Saturday drove away more than two dozen illegal hawkers from a railway bridge in Thane. Around 25 activists descended on Satis bridge on Saturday morning and evicted the hawkers, numbering about two dozens, who were selling their wares, PTI reported. When contacted, police said they have not yet received any complaint about the incident. The activists were lead by Avinash Jadhav, president of the MNS Thane city unit, and the party’s local youth wing chief Sandeep Panchange. [caption id=“attachment_4161917” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Raj Thackeray speaking at the protest march on 5 October 2017. Sachin Gokhale/Firstpost[/caption] Panchange said they had given an ultimatum to the hawkers 15 days ago to clear the area. “They did not leave the area, so we acted against them this morning,” Panchange said. After creating ruckus in Thane, MNS workers also evicted hawkers outside the Kalyan station, IBN Lokmat reported. The report added that some workers protested outside the station master’s office at Dombivli station, demanding the eviction of illegal hawkers at the premises. The incident in Thane, which was caught on camera, came a fortnight after the MNS warned that it would unilaterally act against such hawkers if the municipal authorities do not evict hawkers outside the stations and on the foot-over bridges. “If the deadline to throw out hawkers is not complied, with then we’ll act on our own,” ANI had quoted Thackeray as saying during his 30 September press conference. On 5 October, while addressing a protest march against the Indian Railways outside Churchgate station, MNS chief Raj Thackeray was quoted as saying, “MNS workers will take matters into their own hands if the Railways fail to remove the hawkers."

Thackeray had given a 15-day deadline for the authorities to act against the hawkers, who he alleged are a reason for overcrowding at Mumbai’s suburban railway stations. Hindustan Times quoted Thackeray as saying that commuters had complained to him about old and narrow foot-over bridges becoming much more crowded because of illegal hawkers trying to occupy the little space that is left. MNS’ latest move against hawkers was in response to the tragic deaths of 22 people in the Elphinstone Road station stampede on 29 September. The tragedy took place amid rain at around 10.40 am when the foot-over bridge was heavily crowded. With inputs from PTI