North Indian fruit-vendors attacked in Nashik

Activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Tuesday attacked fruit-vendors hailing from north India in Shalimar Chowk in Nashik, leading to tension in the city.

A handful of MNS activists allegedly beat up the vendors and damaged their hand-carts to protest the likely arrest of their leader and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, police said.

Some of the hawkers were injured in the incident and were being treated in government hospitals.

The hawkers were mostly from Uttar Pradesh and have been selling seasonal fruits for quiet a long time.

MNS activists also pelted stones on the State Road Transport Corporation buses at Nasik Road, Ambad, Ravivar Peth and Gangapur areas, injuring a driver and damaging window panes of some buses, police said.

State Road Transport Corporation official R K Kulthe said four buses were damaged by the activists.

The city bus service has been suspended following the incident and 840 buses on several routes have been taken to the Nimani bus stand.

However, MNS general secretary Vasant Gite denied that his party members were involved in the attack.

On Monday night, some unidentified persons attacked industrial workers hailing from UP and Bihar following which many of them have left the city, police said.

Shops in Nasik road in the city closed down following the incident.

Additional forces have been deployed in the areas, police added.