Agitating youth workers of Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti (VRAS) staged dharna by participating half-naked in it on the fourth day today at Shahid Chowk, Itwari, to protest against the government for its delay to concede the demands of the samiti.
The samiti had launched the stir from August Kranti day to press the pending demands of formation of searatate State of Vidarbha, waiving of electricity bills during lockdown period and reducing rising prices of petrol, diesel and gas cylinders.
A press note issued by the samiti said that the police forcibly detained leaders of the samiti, including Wamanrao Chatap and Ram Newle. It said that when the workers were taking lunch a posse of cops started detaining them. In the melee, Mukesh Masurkar fell unconscious, who was then admitted to a hospital. The cops took out the leaders and workers from the specially-erected pandal and arrested Chatap, Newle and Ranjana Mamarde.
Addressing the gathering, Newle said that the ruling party leaders had no moral right to continue in the government and asked them the leave the posts.
Prominent workers including Dr Ramesh Gajbe, Sunil Godaskar, Sudam Rathod, Vasant Kumar Chaurasia, Rajendra Agarkar, Naresh Nimje, Madhukar Balpande, Nilkanth Ambore, Usha Lambat and others took active part in the agitation.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the workers would be held on Friday to decide future course of agitation.
