Maharashtra Bandh: MVA Allies Urge All To Extend Full Support, Mumbai Police To Step Up Security

Maharashtra Minorities Affairs Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Nawab Malik on Sunday said the state-wide bandh will commence from 12 midnight.

Representative Photo

Mumbai: The three alliance partners in Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government have appealed to the people to extend full support to the state-wide bandh called by them on Monday to protest the killing of four farmers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri.

Maharashtra Minorities Affairs Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Nawab Malik on Sunday said the state-wide bandh will commence from 12 midnight.

READ: Lakhimpur Violence: Ashish Mishra Under Quarantine In Jail After Court Orders 14-Day Judicial Custody

Malik said the workers of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress are meeting the citizens with an appeal to participate in the bandh whole-heartedly and express their solidarity with the farmers.

“The BJP-led Central government has allowed the loot of agriculture produce through the three newly-enacted farm laws and now the kin of its minister is killing farmers. We have to show solidarity with the cultivators,” he said, PTI reported.

Malik further said the Maha Vikas Aghadi demands that Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra be sacked from the Union Cabinet.

“It was only after the Supreme Court's intervention that the minister's son was arrested,” he added.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said that his party leaders and workers would observe “maun vrat” (vow of silence) outside Mumbai’s Raj Bhavan to register their protest.

“We appeal to all the Congress workers and people to participate in the bandh and ensure its success,” he said.

Asserting it is necessary to wake people up against the Central government’s “anti-farmer” policies, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had earlier on Saturday said that his party would participate in the bandh with full force.

The state-wide bandh called by the Maha Vikas Aghadi has received support from the Kisan Sabha, which has said its workers in the state’s 21 districts are coordinating with like-minded organisations to ensure the bandh gets a good response.

In view of the Maharashtra bandh called by the three ruling parties, the Mumbai Police will deploy the maximum manpower at their disposal on the streets on Monday to prevent any untoward incident.

A police official on Sunday said, “three companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), 500 Home Guard personnel, and 400 men from the Local Arms units are already deployed as additional manpower for the ongoing Navratri festival security”.

“But keeping the bandh in mind, Mumbai Police will use the maximum manpower to tackle any situation. Police bandobast will be (stepped up) on streets on Monday,” he added, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, the Union Minister’s son Ashish Mishra, who was arrested in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

A senior official said that he has been placed under Covid quarantine in the district jail.

The Union Minister’s son was named in an FIR following allegations that he was in one of the vehicles that mowed down the farmers protesting over Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit earlier on October 3.

Eight people, including four farmers, died in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3.