In its second phase of agitation, Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti (VRAS) will resort to road blockade and jail bharo stir from August 26 in Nagpur city and over 100 tehsils of Vidarbha to press its demands like the formation of separate State of Vidarbha, waiving off electricity bills during the lockdown and reducing prices of petrol, diesel and gas cylinder.
Ram Newle, Chief Convener and leader of the samiti, declared this on Wednesday and said that the workers had made all the necessary arrangements at various places for the agitation. He said the workers would launch raasta roko, jail bharo agitation at Ganeshpeth ST Main Bus Station here tomorrow at 12 noon. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the workers held here recently.
Newle further said that the samiti had launched first phase of stir on August Kranti Day at Vidarbha Chandika Mandir, Shahid Chowk, Itwari to draw the attention of both the Central and State Governments but with no results. The agitation continued till August 15 while the cops forcibly arrested the samiti leaders, torn banners, removed specially-erected pandal, took away food materials etc.
The samiti will intensify the agitation from Thursday. The workers are ready to court arrest during the stir. The Samiti will not keep mum till the demands are fulfilled by the authorities concerned, he added.
This agitation is a struggle for independent Vidarbha, Mukesh Masurkar, President of Vidarbha Yuwa Aghadi, said adding that the workers would participate in it with devotion for winning the battle.
Rajendra Satai conducted the meeting in which Tatyasaheb Matte, Sunita Yerne, Vishnu Ashtikar, Jytoti Khandekar, Naresh Nimje, Arun Kedar, Sachin Lonkar and others expressed their views.
