Washim: Police detained around 55 protesters, including Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Nitin Deshmukh, on Friday after farmers and party workers tried to enter the Samruddhi Mahamarg at the Selu Bazaar interchange in Washim district. The protest, staged to press the demand for drought compensation of Rs1 lakh per hectare, disrupted traffic on the Akola-Mangrulpir state highway for nearly 3.5 hours.Police deployed over 1,500 personnel from five Vidarbha districts at the interchange and used drone surveillance to monitor the gathering. Protesters repeatedly tried to move towards the expressway despite the barricades, leading to heated exchanges and scuffles with police. Deshmukh was detained and shifted to a police vehicle.Police put the number of detained persons at around 55. Washim additional SP Lata Fad, speaking to TOI, said, “Protesters have been taken into custody and the situation has been brought under control.” The deployment was led by Nitesh Khatmode-Patil, SP (Washim), and supervised by Archit Chandak, SP (Akola).After his detention, Deshmukh alleged that police stopped more than 10,000 farmers at various locations from reaching the protest site. Deshmukh also alleged that food and drinking water arranged for nearly 15,000 participants were prevented from reaching the gathering. The organisers claimed that over 5,000 farmers and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers from Akola, Washim, Yavatmal, Amravati and Buldhana districts took part.Taking a veiled swipe at deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Deshmukh said the Rs5,000 assistance announced by govt was too small to give meaningful relief to farmers in distress. Deshmukh warned that the agitation would continue if govt failed to accept the demands and the next protest would block trains passing through Vidarbha.The protest followed a farmers’ march held in Akola on Sept 22, when the party warned govt of a Samruddhi Mahamarg blockade if the compensation demand was not accepted by Oct 5.
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