VRAS demands statehood, slams CM for ‘rising crime’

Nagpur: The Vidarbha Raj Andolan Samiti (VRAS) staged a day-long protest at Samvidhan Chowk on Friday, accusing the Maharashtra govt for an increase in crime rate in Nagpur. They also demanded a separate Vidarbha state.A dozen protestors braved the summer heat to raise slogans against chief minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding accountability for "deteriorating law and order" situation in the city.Speaking to TOI, VRAS leader Mukesh Masurkar said, "Nagpur ranked second in crime according to the new National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. The people in office are behind it." He also pointed to an increase in narcotics consumption in the city. "Drugs come here from Mumbai and Pune, do they not know? The ministers and the government are responsible are not able to stop these crimes," Masurkar added.He added that the Vidarbha region is consistently sidelined by a government fixated on the ‘Mumbai-Pune-Nashik' corridor. "Police vacancies here are not even filled. If Vidarbha becomes a separate state, the police and administration will be far more attentive and efficient," he said while demanding statehood.The protestors further said that although Fadnavis serves as the home minister, the city has witnessed a surge in crime.