Mumbai: Eleven Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party workers were arrested by MHB Colony police for sloganeering and pelting a stone at Shiv Sena politician Sanjay Nirupam‘s vehicle at a public meeting at Borivli West on Friday. Nirupam was in Borivli to attend the meeting organised by Shiv Sena party worker Ram Yadav for auto and taxi drivers. Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik had announced that knowledge of Marathi would be made compulsory for licensed autorickshaw and taxi drivers from May 1, warning that those who did not know the language risked having their permits cancelled.Yadav’s event was meant to encourage auto and taxi drivers to pick up basic Marathi, according to the police. “However MNS was under the impression that the event was against Marathi language and they held a protest. A group of MNS workers gathered and shouted slogans. One of them pelted a stone at Nirupam’s vehicle,” said a senior police officer. A heated exchange of words ensued which ended in a scuffle. MHB Colony police was informed. The police then took MNS workers into custody and registered a case against them.
