Mumbai, Jan 1 (IANS): Terming the new Motor Vehicles Act as ‘draconian’, Maharashtra Congress said here on Monday that it is unjust to all motorists and they are now scared of driving on the roads.

Slamming the MV Act laws, state Congress President Nana Patole accused the government of suspending 146 MPs only to push through the new laws in Parliament.

As per the new rules, any truckers involved in a road accident especially hit-and-run cases would face criminal prosecution with a 10-year jail term and a fine of Rs 700,000, he said.

“There is deep anger against this stringent ‘black law’ among the people… It was only to rush this law through the Parliament that the government suspended 156 MPs last month,” Patole said.

Attacking the Centre, he said that the Congress is fully backing the truckers and drivers who are opposing this draconian legislation that has created fear in the minds of all drivers, whether two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars, trucks, tankers or tractors.

“The new law is very harsh and tyrannical for all motorists. Now people are apprehensive before driving any vehicle, from a two-wheeler to a tractor, as the punishment has been greatly enhanced from one-two years jail and Rs 1000 fine to 10 years imprisonment and a steep fine of Rs 700,000,” said Patole sharply.

The Congress has demanded that this cruel law must be repealed immediately and the party is fully supporting the agitations against it.

The Congress chief’s comments came as truckers took to the streets in several parts of Maharashtra, hitting major state roads, inter-state highways and other important thoroughfares.

Among the districts hit were Thane, Palghar, Nashik, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgaon, Nanded, Beed, Akola, Gondia, Bhandara, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Nagpur, with massive traffic jams in several areas as truckers squatted and blocked roads, burnt tyres, took our protest marches, staged demonstrations and raised slogans against the Centre.

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