MVA members lead farmers protests against Shaktipeeth in several districts, condemn attack on women opposing alignment marking in Parbhani

Kolhapur/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Farmers across several districts in Maharashtra intensified their agitation on Monday against the proposed 800km Shaktipeeth Expressway linking Nagpur and Goa, with MVA leaders spearheading protests at collectorates in Kolhapur, Sangli, Latur, Parbhani and Beed. The proposed expressway, which passes through 12 districts — including six in Marathwada — has triggered anger among farmers who fear losing their only source of livelihood. Tensions escalated after videos surfaced showing women protesters being manhandled and some women police personnel injured during a land survey-related faceoff in two Parbhani villages. Although state govt has deployed revenue officials to carry out the alignment marking, the farmers alleged police high-handedness and insisted they would not allow any survey on their fields.
In Parbhani, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Jadhav led the demonstration, accusing the police of behaving "like Nizam's Razakars." He said, "They (police) brutally assaulted women farmers. Till such officers are removed, there will be no discussion on the expressway. If farmers feel we are misleading them, we will step back. Govt is spreading misinformation."In Sangli, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti questioned the cost of the project. "Centre is building a six-lane highway from Nashik to Akkalkot at Rs 51 crore per km, but the Shaktipeeth Expressway is estimated at Rs 124 crore per km. Why such a huge difference? This is nothing but an attempt to loot people and finance the 2029 elections," he said.In Kolhapur, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Devane joined Left leaders Girish Phonde, Uday Narkar and Samrat More, along with farmers from villages likely to be affected by the revised alignment. They alleged that even after the CM's announcement of alignment changes in Kolhapur and Sangli, villagers along the new route have begun opposing it. They demanded that local MLAs break their silence, warning that farmers would otherwise treat them as "partners in crime"."If govt forcefully acquires land, farmers will resist even at the cost of their lives. There is no need for this expressway when the Nagpur-Ratnagiri highway is almost ready and traffic is already low. The new road will only burden taxpayers," Devane said.In Parbhani, despite a verbal assurance of a temporary halt to the land survey, the farmers backed by Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Left parties staged a rasta roko at Shingnapur T-point for over two hours, demanding scrapping of the project and action against officials involved in the Feb 20 incident in Sahajapur. "We have no written order stopping the survey. We will not bow to pressure," Satish Ghatage, sarpanch of Salapur and member of the Action Committee Against the expressway, said.Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav from Sena (UBT) reiterated that farmers would not let govt "snatch their livelihood," arguing that existing pilgrim routes had already been upgraded. One protester, Seema Bagal, was hospitalised after complaining of dizziness.In Nanded, farmer groups submitted a memorandum seeking the project's cancellation. "Atrocities like the Feb 20 assault will not be tolerated. We will intensify our agitation democratically," farmers' leader Satish Kulkarni said.