Taxpayers to bear cost of damage caused by MNS

AAM ADMI'S WOES: The common man says political parties responsible for causing mayhem should be made to pay the damages.

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Mumbai: Broken windshields, forcefully shut commercial establishments and 40,000 policemen on the streets of Mumbai — these were the scenes which rocked Mumbai in the first half of Febraury.

The 10-day long drama in the city has set the state exchequer back by a Rs 250 crore, something which the taxpayer will eventually have to pay for.

And it is this question which is now being raised in front of the Bombay High Court, through a public interest litigation.

The petitioner, Kunjuram says, "Why should we be made to pay for the whims and fancies of these political parties?"

It was not just Mumbai which was affected. Cities like Pune and Nashik also bore the brunt of the violence. More than 30,000 migrants labourers fled from Nashik and Pune, badly effecting the automobile and industrial units there. Production came down by almost 25 per cent.

The common man is of the view that political parties responsible for causing the mayhem should be made to pay for the damage done on the streets of Mumbai.

In 2006, the Bombay High Court had done just what the common man is suggesting by penalising the Shiv Sena and the BJP Rs 20 lakh each for calling a day's bandh.

But will the court take a cue from the case in 2006 and take the same action this time around? It's anyone's guess.

(With inputs from Kajal Iyer in Mumbai)