The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers and farmers staged a protest rally at Thane on Friday. The morcha was led by MNS Thane president Avinash Jadhav and party leaders Nitin Sardesai and Bala Nandgaonkar. In the rally, party workers, leaders and auto drivers were present in a large number, but fewer farmers took part.
The MNS workers had come from Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Thane Rural, Dombivli, Ulhasnagar and Bhiwandi regions. According to police sources, 2,000 to 2,500 people attended the farmers’ protest rally. However, the MNS claimed that 25,000 people took part. A huge police contingent was also deployed in Thane.
The morcha proceeded from Gamdevi ground to Talawpali, court naka and culminated at the collector’s office. Most of farmers, present in the morcha, were brought from Parbhani, Beed, Solapur and Sangli districts, but the farmers from Thane and surrounding areas give the rally a miss.