``Abrahani gheraoed the ward office along with more than 300 hawkers, demanding that certain places at the Gateway of India and Churchgate be marked as hawking zones. However, what really angered me was the manner in which the hawkers hurled filthy abuses at me and other civic employees and disturbed at least half-a-day's work,'' Vale informed. The SP leader in BMC also threatened to forcibly ``take over'' the Gateway of India if BMC remained firm on banning hawkers in the vicinity of Gateway, the ward officer added.

Abrahani, however, had a different version. ``While the hawkers staged a dharna outside the ward office, I had gone inside with some of their representatives to meetVale and resolve the issue. But when I heard some of the hawkers shouting vulgar slogans and calling Vale names, I immediately went out and pacified the protestors,'' he claimed. The SP leader said he was disturbed when the hawkers called Vale a ``pimp.'' ``Being from an army background, Vale is very strict and on a few occasions has also dumped the hawkers' goods into the sea at Gateway of India. I feel that if you don't allow hawkers to be gainfully employed, they will take to crime. I have explained this to Vale too,'' Abrahani added. He said he was very cordial with the ward officer.

Though the ward officer agreed he had on two or three occasions dumped the hawkers' wares into the sea, he maintained he had always gone by the book.

Vale alleged the hawkers led by Abrahani had also raised vulgar slogans against the ward office's chief security officer.