NAGPUR: Tension flared up in Washim district of Maharashtra after workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) vandalised the Tondgaon toll plaza on Akola-Nanded highway, alleging missing facilities at the toll point and incomplete roadwork.The incident occurred on Wednesday at the toll plaza near Tondgaon village, where a group of MNS activists smashed toll booths and confronted plaza staff.

Eyewitnesses said, the protest escalated quickly, disrupting traffic and prompting a brief spell of unrest in the area.MNS workers accused the toll plaza operators of collecting fees without providing minimum infrastructure for commuters. They pointed to a lack of basic amenities such as clean restrooms, drinking water, proper lighting and safety measures, which are mandated under toll operation norms.

Protesters also cited incomplete construction of the road stretch from Tondgaon to Kanergaon as a key grievance, claiming that motorists were being forced to pay toll despite the highway being in poor condition.“This is exploitation of citizens. How can toll be collected when the road is unfinished and there are no basic facilities? We have been raising this issue for months. Today’s protest was a result of the authorities’ inaction,” an MNS local functionary told reporters at the site.

The toll plaza management was yet to issue a formal statement, but sources confirmed operations were temporarily halted due to the incident. Senior police officials assured law and order have been restored.Washim police registered an FIR and are tracking down activists of the Raj Thackeray-led party, who vandalized the toll plaza. Though the MNS district-level leadership justified the act, police seem to be in no mood to soft-peddle the issue. SP Washim, Anuj Tare, stated multiple teams have been formed to nab the three culprits who have been identified on the basis of the CCTV footage.Recent incidentsA shopkeeper from Rajasthan was assaulted in Mumbai last month after allegedly failing to speak in Marathi. Earlier this month, MNS workers allegedly ransacked the Worli office of investor Sushil Kedia. The attack came after Kedia posted a comment on social media expressing reluctance to learn Marathi, accompanied by a remark aimed at MNS chief Raj Thackeray.