Nagpur witnessed severe traffic disruptions in the Ganeshpeth area on Monday as activists of the Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti (VRAS) staged a 'rasta roko' protest against spiralling inflation and rising crime. The demonstration brought vehicular movement on one of the city's busiest roads to a complete standstill. Later, police detained 17 protesters after brief scuffles.
Protest Details and Demands
The agitation began around noon outside the Ganeshpeth Bus Stand. Protesters, carrying Vidarbha flags, gathered amid loud chants of 'Jai Vidarbha'. They alleged that soaring fuel prices, rising LPG cylinder rates, and increasing costs of essential commodities have pushed common citizens into severe distress. Within minutes, activists occupied the main road and stopped several government and private buses, bringing vehicular movement on the crucial stretch to a complete halt. Long queues of vehicles piled up on both sides.
Citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, protesters claimed that the city's rising crime graph reflected the administration's failure to ensure public safety. 'We are protesting because inflation has become unbearable and crime is rising unchecked. The government has completely failed the common people,' said VRAS youth wing regional president Mukesh Masurkar while addressing the gathering. The protesters demanded a rollback of fuel price hikes and stronger action against criminal activities in the city. Several activists accused the administration of ignoring repeated public concerns over violent crimes and deteriorating safety conditions in Nagpur.
Police Action and Detentions
As the blockade intensified, police moved in to clear the road after protesters refused to disperse despite repeated warnings. The situation quickly turned tense, with brief scuffles breaking out as activists resisted detention. Police later detained 17 protesters, including Masurkar, city president Naresh Nimje, and women's wing president Jyotitai Khandekar, and shifted them to the Ganeshpeth police station. Before being detained, Masurkar demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis relinquish the home portfolio over the worsening crime situation in Nagpur. The VRAS warned that a more intense agitation would be launched in the coming days if the government failed to address inflation and law and order concerns.
