Mumbai, 28 April (Hindustan). In Ratnagiri district, the police lathi-charged the agitators protesting against the Barsu Refinery Project on Friday. It is being told that more than four hundred protesters were injured in this lathicharge but the protesters are standing on the spot. In this case, police arrested hundreds of protesters including Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party MP Vinayak Raut who was going to lead the protesters. Police is completing legal process by taking Vinayak Raut to Rajapur police station.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the role of the government is to convince everyone and bring the project. The Industries Minister himself is monitoring this. The state government will try to convince the local citizens and is going to explain to these people about the benefits of this project. The benefit of this project is going to be for the local people only. So far 70 percent of the local people are in support of this project. CM Shinde said that he spoke to the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Ratnagiri. Both of them told that the situation had become tense for 15 minutes but now it is under control.
Former MP and farmer leader Raju Shetty said that the incident of lathi charge on farmers of Barsu is unfortunate. He said that if such coercive action is not stopped by the government, then all the farmers of Maharashtra will reach Ratnagiri and help the people of Barsu. He said that when the farmers are not ready for any project then why their land is being taken away.
It may be noted that the soil survey is underway for the refinery project at Barsu in Ratnagiri district. In view of the opposition of the local people, a large-scale police arrangement has been made here. Today, the local people protesting here broke the police barricades and reached the survey site. That’s why the policemen had to release tear gas and lathicharge was also done on the protesters. More than four hundred people have been injured in this incident. Most of the injured are women. All the protesters are present on the spot till the news is written. At present, the situation in Barsu is said to be under control.
