Nanar refinery project: MNS men vandalise office of associated company

A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray opposed the proposed Nanar refinery project in the coastal Konkan region, workers of his party vandalised the office of the associated company in Tardeo, South Mumbai, on Monday.

The Tardeo Police have arrested five MNS workers who were involved in the vandalism on Monday evening. The workers made a video of the arson and circulated it on social media platforms in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande justified the act.

The two-minute clip shows a few men wearing MNS scarves entering the office and smashing the glass doors and other furniture using stones and rods, before fleeing the spot, raising anti-Nanar project slogans. The workers also beat up the security guard of the office when he attempted to stop them.

According to police, the accused barged into the office and after confirming they have arrived at the right place, they began vandalising the property, and fled within two minutes. The police rushed to the spot immediately after the security guard informed them of the act.

"We have arrested the five MNS workers and have booked them under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code," said Virendra Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 3.

Addressing a rally in Mulund on Sunday, Thackeray had said that they would not allow the proposed project to come up in Nanar, as it is in the ecologically-sensitive Ratnagiri district.