Bhiwandi: Local residents and land-owning communities from rural parts of Bhiwandi staged coordinated protest demonstrations across multiple villages on Wednesday, opposing the Centre’s decision to operationalise
the Navi Mumbai International Airport without dedicating it to renowned mass leader D.B. Patil. Protesters carried black flags and raised slogans, terming the move an insult to the sacrifices made by project-affected farmers and locals.
Black-flag protests held across rural Bhiwandi
The agitation was carried out following an appeal by Bhiwandi Lok Sabha MP Suresh Mhatre, popularly known as Balya Mama, who has been spearheading the demand to name the airport after D.B. Patil. Demonstrators asserted that Patil’s contribution to farmers’ movements and his leadership during land acquisition struggles deserved official recognition.
Earlier, a protest march from Bhiwandi to the Navi Mumbai airport was planned between December 22 and 24 under the leadership of MP Balya Mama. However, the police denied permission citing the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming municipal elections, forcing the organisers to postpone the march.
Planned march postponed due to Model Code
During a protest held in Vadvali village, participants said that while locals had launched a sustained movement to honour D.B. Patil, the government went ahead with commercial flight operations without addressing their long-standing demand. Similar demonstrations were reported from several villages across the taluka, indicating widespread discontent among the local population.
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