By Quaid Najmi

Mumbai, Apr 9 (IANS): In a big jolt, a large number of agitating employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) made a 'surgical strike' at the private, secure, south Mumbai residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, and pelted stones and shoes.

However, nobody was hurt in the attack that embarrassed the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress, which ordered a probe.

Unfazed by the incident, a couple of hours later, the veteran of many political wars, Pawar, 81, himself came out and magnanimously said he always stood behind the state transport workers but disapproved of their 'misguided leaders'.

Catching the Mumbai Police napping, around 100-125 angry state transport staffers, comprising many women, first staged a noisy demonstration demanding the merger of the MSRTC with the state government, and ranted slogans against the Pawars and MVA.

Then a small group with several women at the lead, was seen rushing towards the high-security Pawar residence in Silver Oaks bungalow, rushing past the security barricades, shouting slogans including 'Jai Shri Ram', and pelted stones, hurled shoes, while some managed to reach to the doorsteps.

Aghast over the sudden 'attack', NCP MP Supriya Sule, Pawar's daughter, rushed out right into the midst of the agitating state transport workers crowding there, and appealed to them to remain calm and sit for negotiations.

"With folded hands, I am pleading to you.... Please keep calm, my parents and my children are inside the house and I am concerned for their safety. Don't indulge in such behaviour," said Sule fervently with chaos all around her.

Pawar is accorded Z-Plus category security and the unprecedented storming raised questions on possible intelligence failure, particularly since the home department is handled by NCP's Minister Dilip Walse-Patil.

Taking the matter very seriously and ordering a police probe, Walse-Patil hinted at an "invisible political force or a political party" that was behind the swoop on Pawar's household.

"They kept womenfolk at the forefront so the police could not take any restrictive measures. We are enquiring into the episode and all those found guilty will not be spared," said Walse-Patil.

Earlier, Sule repeatedly urged the state transport workers that she was "prepared for negotiations at this minute", but they seemed in no mood to listen.

"I kept telling them... I can sit right now for discussions. Please stop this agitation. Nothing will come out of it. Unless you stop this ruckus, how can we talk," she implored.

Soon afterwards, a posse of senior police officers rushed there and brought the situation under control, pushing back the state transport employees who have been on the warpath since the past five months.

The transport staffers' action -- the transport department is held by Shiv Sena Minister Anil Parab -- evoked strong condemnation from political circles and the social media, with many even questioning whether they were genuine state transport staffers.

The protest erupted a day after the Bombay High Court directed the striking workers to return to duties by April 22 and Parab assured that no disciplinary action would be taken against those who comply with the court deadline.

Later, Sule expressed gratitude to the police for rushing to save her family from the assault and renewed her appeal for sanity to resolve the state transport workers' issues, even as Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray -- son of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, visited the Pawar family.

Several NCP leaders and ministers like Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Rajesh Tope, Dhananjay Munde, Majeed Memon, Congress state president Nana Patole, Minister Balasaheb Thorat, MPs, MLAs and others visited the Pawars, and strongly slammed the attacks and many pointed fingers at the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Hinting at the BJP, Shiv Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut said an "unknown political force" was behind the assault which has never ever happened in the state's history.

"Shiv Sena has carried out many agitations in the past, but we never pelted stones at any respected political leaders. What has happened is abhorring," Raut said.

Aam Aadmi Party National Executive Committee member Preeti Sharma-Menon condemned the shocking attack on Pawar and his family, terming it as orchestrated by the BJP for which the (Leader of Opposition) Devendra Fadnavis must be held accountable.

"BJP had made an attempt on the life of (Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal. No other opposition leaders condemned it. Now the hooligans have reached Pawar's home. They will come for all if we don't unite against them" said Sharma-Menon.

Sometime later, the police teams managed to detain many of the agitators and cleared the vicinity by evening and security has been beefed up at the residences of the CM, Dy CM Ajit Pawar, several senior ministers of MVA and others.

Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition (Council) Pravin Darekar and others condemned the attacks, though some other leaders took umbrage at the MVA for blaming the BJP.

The MVA has repeatedly made it clear that the MSRTC merger with the state government is not possible and for all pending issues the verdict of the courts should be awaited.

Some NCP leaders also blamed the state transport workers' leader Adv. Gunratan Sadavarte for the assault despite negotiations currently underway with the government at the highest level.