Police restrict MNS’s Swapnapurti rally

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) organised a ‘Swapnapurti’ rally on Thursday morning to commemorate the fulfillment of the dream of the people of renaming the city almost after 35 years. However, the police restricted the rally at Shahgunj. As the activists were insistent on continuing the rally, the police arrested them.

The union government has recently taken the decision to change the name of the city to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Several people have welcomed the decision but some have opposed it. MP Imtiyaaz Jaleel has started an agitation against this decision in the city. MNS claimed that people were waiting for the renaming of the city for the past 35 years. Their dreams came to reality and hence they organised a ‘Swapnapurti’ rally on Thursday. The rally was organised from Raja Bazar to Divisional Commissionerate at 11 am. However, the police administration considering the law and order situation refused permission for the rally. The MNS activists were insistent on continuing the rally. Around 800 activists had gathered at Sansthan Ganpati in Raja Bazar for the rally and shouted slogans. The police stopped the rally by erecting barricades at Shahgunj. As the activists were not ready to listen, the police arrested them. MNS leaders Prakash Mahajan, Dr Shivaji Kanhere, Santosh Dhotre, Satnamsingh Gulati, district president Sumit Khambekar, Ashish Suradkar, Ashok Pawar, Gajanan Gauda Patil, Rahul Patil, Bipin, Vaibhav Mitkar and women activists participated in the rally in large numbers despite heavy rains.