On Wednesday, Vashi toll plaza resembled a security fortress as the police had taken over the area near the plaza, fearing vandalisation by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers.Media and outdoor broadcasting (OB) vans had stationed themselves since early morning and the number of police personnel and mediamen clearly outnumbered MNS workers from the satellite city.Nearly 500 police personnel and platoon of State Reserve Police (SRP) were stationed at the Vashi toll plaza area. Police stopped vehicles moving towards Mumbai for some time, while those coming from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai were thoroughly checked by police personnel to avoid MNS workers from sneaking into the satellite city and creating ruckus.As soon as MNS workers started arriving in individual vehicles, the police started picking them up and bundled them into two buses stationed at the spot. However, in the absence of any MNS leader at the toll plaza even the workers lacked direction. The police crackdown and later the news of party chief Raj Thackeray's arrest in Chembur fizzled out the steam of MNS agitation, which was supposed to take place at Vashi.According to a source from police, "Most of those arrested included MNS workers from Mumbai. There were very few party workers from Navi Mumbai who were held." Police personnel were seen posted at all the important junctions of satellite city as well.The toll collection continued amidst police bandobast and there was no road block at Vashi toll plaza.

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