Chaos prevailed outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence here on Friday afternoon as over 100 striking workers of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) held a protest there, giving slogans against the veteran politician, saying that he has not done anything to resolve their issues.
The workers said they are firm on their demand of the merger of the MSRTC with the state government.
Thousands of MSRTC workers have been on strike since November 2021 demanding that they be treated on par with the state government employees and that the cash-strapped transport corporation be merged with the government. In an apparent swipe at the BJP, he said it was orchestrated by those for whom the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress `MVA' coalition government in Maharashtra is an "eyesore".
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said an "invisible force” could be behind the MSRTC workers' surprise protest outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence.
The protest comes a day after the Bombay High Court asked the striking workers of the transport corporation to resume duty by April 22. Following the court order, state Transport Minister Anil Parab had assured that no action would be taken against those workers who rejoin duty by the deadline set by the HC.
The employees reached 'Silver Oak', the residence of Pawar in south Mumbai, in the afternoon and shouted slogans against him. Some employees even hurled their footwear towards his house.
"Some 120 MSRTC employees have died by suicide during the strike. These are not suicides, but murders of the state policy. We are firm on our demand of merger of the MSRTC with the state government. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has not done anything to resolve the issue," an agitating employee of the MSRTC said.
"We respect the decision of the Bombay High Court given yesterday, but we were discussing the issues with the state government, which has been elected by the people. This elected government did nothing for us.
Chanakya of this government- Sharad Pawar - is also responsible for our losses," said another protesting employee of the MSRTC. Pawar is considered the chief architect of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, was formed in November 2019.
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