Police Detain Leaders and Protesters at Panvel Airport Naming March
Navi Mumbai Police detained several protest leaders and hundreds of demonstrators at Shivaji Maharaj Chowk in Panvel, Navi Mumbai, on Wednesday morning. The police intervention successfully blocked a planned protest march that was organized to demand that the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport be named after the late leader D. B. Patil.
The demonstration attracted thousands of supporters who began assembling at Shivaji Maharaj Chowk from early Wednesday morning. Despite experiencing heavy rain, the crowd grew to include project-affected residents, women, youth, senior citizens, and representatives from various local social organisations. All had gathered to show support for the long-pending demand regarding the airport's name.
Prior to the event, the Navi Mumbai Police had officially denied permission for the rally. Authorities had also issued public appeals urging people not to gather at the protest site. However, these appeals were bypassed as thousands of demonstrators turned up at the venue.
Just as the march was preparing to commence, police officers moved in to detain the leaders spearheading the agitation. Among those taken into custody were activist Rashmita Popeta, former MP Balya Mama, Bhavana Ghanekar, and former MLA Balaram Patil. Along with the leadership, hundreds of other protesters, including many women, were placed into police vehicles and shifted to various other locations.
The sudden detentions triggered angry reactions from the remaining crowd, who began raising loud slogans demanding the airport be named after D. B. Patil. Demonstrators at the scene alleged that the police department had implemented a pre-planned strategy specifically designed to prevent the march from proceeding.
Tensions escalated further during the detention of activist Rashmita Popeta. According to individuals present at the scene, protest organisers claimed that Popeta threatened self-harm while being taken into custody by the police. However, there was no immediate official confirmation of this claim from the authorities.
Despite the police action and the mass detentions, the gathered protesters maintained that their resolve remained unchanged. They reiterated their demand for the airport's naming. Speaking on the situation, Bhavana Ghanekar criticized the state government over its handling of the protest and stated that the agitation would be intensified in the coming days.
