Farmers from different Maharashtra districts are taking part in a statewide "Highway Roko" protest on July 1, Krishi Din (Agriculture Day), to increase opposition to the proposed Shaktipeeth Highway. The Shaktipeeth Highway Opposition Struggle Committee convened an online meeting on Thursday, June 26, during which the decision to hold the demonstration on July 1 was made. The meeting was attended by district coordinators from the 12 impacted regions as well as notable leaders, such as Congress Legislature Party leader and MLA Satej Patil, Sangli MP Vishal Patil, MLA Vishwajit Kadam, Dharashiv MLA Kailas Patil, and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana President and former MP Raju Shetti.
A protester in the Beed district of Maharashtra said, “I want to say that we do not want this Shaktipeeth Highway. This land has come to us from our forefathers and under no circumstances will we give it up…”
Farmers Block Traffic Movement on Pune-Bengaluru National HighwayThe protest has led to a highway blockade on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway in Kolhapur. Congress leader Satej Patil, Raju Shetti, and farmers from 12 districts have joined the agitation. Several points on the highway have been blocked, causing major traffic jams, and police have begun detaining protestors. Raju Shetti is currently in police custody.
Across the state, the protest has intensified. On the Pune-Bengaluru highway, former MP and farmers’ leader Raju Shetti is leading the movement. The protest has led to severe traffic congestion, and authorities have had to divert traffic. Raju Shetti and several protestors were taken into custody after the situation turned tense.
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Farmers Block the Palkhi RouteFarmers in Solapur have also staged aggressive protests demanding the cancellation of the Shaktipeeth Highway project. In Mohol city, affected farmers blocked the Mohol-Pandharpur Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi route, a vital religious route during the pilgrimage season. The blockade led to significant vehicle congestion. Protestors questioned:
- "Why is there insistence on building the Shaktipeeth Highway when farmers haven’t demanded it?"
- "Why spend thousands of crores when the state’s financial condition is already strained?"
In Dhayguda Pimpala, farmers blocked roads demanding that the part of the highway passing through Ambajogai taluka be scrapped. Farmers in Ambajogai and Parli also took to the streets with a strong demand to cancel the Shaktipeeth Highway.
Protesters alleged that their farmlands would be acquired, which would destroy their livelihoods. The protest at some places lasted for over an hour, severely affecting traffic. Police had to use force to detain the demonstrators.