Live reporting: MNS rasta roko: Raj Thackeray released after being arrested, to meet Maha CM tomorrow

Mumbai: MNS chief Raj Thackeray was today released after being arrested at suburban Chembur here as the state-wide ‘rasta roko' against toll plazas called by the party began with several protesters being taken into custody for disrupting traffic at many places across the state. Raj Thackeray, who left his home in Dadar in central Mumbai at about 10 AM, was stopped in Chembur and arrested by police while he was heading towards the Vashi toll booth. He had planned to lead the road blockade at the Vashi toll plaza. According to police, Raj was taken in a police van along with his party workers.Raj Thackeray was released at around 12:50am.Raj Thackeray will be meeting Maharashtra CM tomorrow at 9am. After being released, Raj appealed to MNS workers to protest peacefully. Police took MNS workers into custody at several places including Pune, Ahmednagar and Vasai.Tyres were burnt in Thane, while in Pune MNS workers deflated tyres of some vehicles.The stir has commenced despite police serving a notice to Raj warning against participating in the agitation. Undeterred by the notice, Thackeray, whose supporters vandalised scores of toll plazas across the state over the last fortnight, said traffic on the state highways was stopped from 9 AM.In Dahisar, a suburb of Mumbai, a group of hundred people led by MNS MLA Pravin Darekar began protesting near Dahisar toll plaza. But nobody was detained from the spot, police said.In Pune, about 25 MNS activists were rounded up by police when they tried to disrupt traffic at Chandani chowk along Pune-Mumbai highway in response to the ‘rasta-roko'. Tyres of some heavy vehicles were deflated by the party workers, led by former MNS corporator Rajabhau Gorde, in the demonstration at Chandani chowk.A similar protest near ‘Amritanjan' bridge along the highway disrupted vehicular traffic temporarily, police said, adding that a heavy bandobast has been put at various points in the city leading to highways where the toll collection booths are set up.Yesterday, police had served a notice on Raj under section 149 of the CrPC, asking him to respect the law of the land and refrain from taking up any activity that would cause a law and order problem.However, in some relief for commuters, Raj had said yesterday that life in cities would not be affected. “We have decided to exclude schools and colleges from the stir in view of exams. The cities won't be affected by the stir,” he had said.“A person from the state government was in touch with me on the phone requesting me to call off the stir,” the MNS leader has said yesterday.Maharashtra Police has decided to press into service contingents of Rapid Action Force and State Reserve Police to deal with the stir.Here we are giving you live updates of related developments:2:48pm - Congress terms Raj Thackeray's movement a failure. The party said that Raj's movement was a political stunt and that it has only added to the problems of common man 01:09pm - Shiv Sena says, people of Maharashtra have rejected the agitaion of Raj thackeray led MNS12:52pm - Raj Thackeray to meet Maharashtra CM tomorrow at 9am. Raj appeals to MNS workers to go for peaceful agitation.12:24pm – MNS workers pelt stones on buses in Pune's Lakshi Road and Aunndh areas12:24pm – MNS workers pelt stones on buses in Pune's Lakshi Road and Aunndh areas12:16pm - MNS supporters bring to a halt the traffic at Eastern Express highway at Suman Nagar with their motorcycles.11:54 am- The impact of Raj thackeray's arrest can be seen in Maharashtra including Mumbai. In Thane, MNS workers are forcing shopkeepers to put their shutter down . Many shopkeepers have closed their shops on their own. In Dadar, many shops have been shut. In ‘Sabji market' of Vashi, the shops are being closed11:52 am – In view of increasing number of MNS workers outside RPF police station, RAF has been deployed outside the police station11:47am - BJP claims that it was BJP-RPI alliance that had first called for not paying the toll and that MNS is just imitating them11:46am – Raj Thackeray's wife Sharmila and other MNS workers sit on dharna outside RCF Police post.11:41am – MNS workers force “chakka jaam” on Jogeshwari-Vikroli Link road and Eastern Expressway in Mumbai11:40am – MNS workers force "Chakka Jaam" on all four toll nakas of Kolhapur11:39am - MNS workers force “chakka jam” on Mumbai-Pune highway. Trucks carrying sand bags have been forced to download these bags on the roads and these bags are being used for disrupting the traffic. 11:38am – MNS workers enforce “ Chakka Jaam” at many places including Nashik, MIDC road of Panchavati, Shirdi-Ahmednagar highway, Nashik-Jalgoab highway. 11.26am- Police clarifies that Raj has been detained and has not been arrested.11:07am- Traffic disrupted at Pune –bangalore highway because of ‘Rasta roko' agitation by MNS workers. More than 150 MNS workers have assembled for this protest.10:37am- Raj Thackeray arrested at Sion while he was on his way to Vashi10:06am- Dahisar Police arrests MNS leaders Praveen Darekar and Shalini Thackeray . MNS leader Mangesh Sangal has also been arrested from Vikroli.