* Traffic jam on highway
* Protesters detained
NASHIK :
Intensifying its statewide agitation against steep dip in milk prices, Bharatiya Janata Party and its alliance partners yesterday staged an agitation demanding a subsidy of Rs 10 per litre for milk.
In Nashik district, BJP blocked the road on Mumbai-Agra National Highway causing traffic jam situation for a long time. Police detained MP Bharati Pawar, MLA Devyani Pharande and several other party workers.
Allies of the BJP in the grand alliance took part in the agitation and protested against the ruling Mahavikas Aghadi government in the state.
By blocking traffic on both sides of the highway, the agitators demanded a fair and supportive price for dairy milk. The BJP has been urging the government to pay the dairy farmers their fair dues.
The agitation took place under the leadership of MLA Devyani Farande, MLA Adv. Rahul Dhikale and MP Bharti Pawar. The stir had caused traffic jams on the highway for a long time. Police arrested key party office bearers, along with protesting milk producing farmers.
Last month, the BJP and its allies had submitted their demands, including subsidy of Rs 10 per litre for dairy farmers and Rs 50 per kg for milk powder, to the collector’s office and had warned that it would intensify the agitation from August 1 if the demands were not addressed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
When agitating farmers drink milk
At the milk collection centre in Syed Pimpri, the BJP did not collect the milk brought by the farmers at the centre from the surrounding villages in the rural areas, but the agitating party workers rather prefer to boil the milk brought by farmers and distribute it to the agitators without getting poured on the streets.
The milk farmers on the occasion sarcastically demanded that the boiled milk should also be served to the leaders of the ruling Mahavikas Aghadi to come to the terms.