Congress protests Nagpur flyover named after Hedgewar

Nagpur. Congress staged a protest in Nagpur over the naming of the flyover from Kamptee Road (Indira Chowk) to Dighori Chowk. The Youth Congress, NSUI and Mahila Congress demonstrated at Kamal Chowk against the decision to name the flyover after RSS leader Dr Keshav Hedgewar instead of icons such as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Emperor Ashoka or Maharaja Agrasen.

Protesters alleged that the flyover, built at a cost of around Rs 1000 crore, was designed to benefit a builders' project rather than serve public interest. They said most flyovers, whether on Kamptee Road, Sadar, near the airport or at Golibar Chowk, have proved unsuccessful due to serious construction flaws, and that the government's focus was on arbitrary naming rather than public welfare, education and employment.

During the protest, police detained hundreds of workers, including state Congress general secretary Kunal Raut, Bandopant Tembhurne, Aashi Nagar sabhapati Asif Shaikh, corporator Dinesh Yadav, Abhishek Shambharkar, Gautam Ambade, Kalpana Dronkar, Zulfiqar Bhutto, Ajit Singh, Mangesh Satpute, Satish Pali, Nilesh Khobragade, Satyam Kotulwar, Chetan Tarare and Palash Lingayat, and brought them to Panchpaoli police station. The incident created tension in the area.