Nitin Deshmukh led farmers block Samruddhi Expressway seeking ₹1L/ha relief
India
At least five farmers were hurt when police used mild force to clear a protest on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway near Vanoja village.
Led by MLA Nitin Deshmukh, thousands of farmers and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers blocked traffic for over an hour, demanding bigger relief (₹100,000 per hectare) for those hit by drought and heavy rain.
Protesters reject ₹5,000 payout, traffic restored
The crowd rejected the state's recent ₹5,000 Diwali payout per farmer as too little.
Despite heavy police presence and barricades, protesters pushed ahead, leading to tense moments with officers.
Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader and MLA Nitin Deshmukh and around 70 of his supporters were briefly detained, but things calmed down quickly and traffic was restored soon after.