CPI (M)-led protest reaches Palghar, sit-in launched over Vadhavan Port Project

A protest march involving thousands of people opposing the proposed Vadhavan Port Project and several other infrastructure projects reached the Palghar district in collectorrsquos office on Tuesday evening after covering nearly 50 kilometres on foot reported the PTILed by leaders of the Communist Party of India Marxist the protesters began an indefinite sitin demonstration at the collectorate upon arrivalThe march had commenced on Monday from Charoti village in Dahanu talukaSpeaking to PTI senior CPI M leader Ashok Dhawale said that the protesters would continue their sitin through the night while a delegation would hold talks with the district collector on Wednesday morning to present their demandsOfficials confirmed that extensive police arrangements were in place along the route of the march to ensure law and orderDemands of the demonstratorsThe demonstrators are demanding that all temple inaam and government land be vested in the names of actual cultivators according to the PTIThey have also called for the restoration and strengthening of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act MGNREGA the cancellation of the smart meter scheme the repeal of the four Labour Codes and the scrapping of the proposed Vadhavan and Murbe port projectsVIDEO On the second day of the protest CPIM supporters take out a massive foot march from Charoti to the Palghar District Collectorrsquos office demanding the implementation of forest rights withdrawal of smart meters revival of MGNREGA and redressal of other longpendinghellip pictwittercom0O0VUJ6VRimdash Press Trust of India PTI_News January 20 2026CPI M leaders take part in marchSeveral prominent CPI M leaders took part in the march including Polit Bureau member and All India Kisan Sabha AIKS national general secretary Vijoo Krishnan CPI M MLA Vinod Nikole Ashok Dhawale and othersVarious Leftwing organisations also joined the protestPolice officials said the situation remained peaceful throughout with traffic diversions imposed at sensitive locations to facilitate the smooth movement of the protesters the news agency reportedNH48 jammed as protest against Vadhavan Port disrupts trafficMeanwhile a major traffic jam occurred on Monday along the MumbaiAhmedabad NH48 highway due to a protest against the Vadhavan Port and ldquoother destructive mega projects being imposed on the districtrdquo including on forest and land across Palghar and DahanuThe large crowd comprising Communist party members dressed in black marched from Tarapur to Palghar where local fishermen the Adivasi community and labourers joined them in protesting outside the Collectorrsquos OfficeTo maintain law and order police personnel have been deployed at Hutatma Chowk in Palghar at railway stations from Palghar to Dahanu Old Palghar Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk All schools along the route of the protest march have been given a holiday On Monday local schools were shut at 10 amNH48 traffic advisoryThe Palghar traffic police issued an advisory regarding heavy traffic along NH48 from 8 am to 10 pm on Monday and 6 am to 2 pm today Heavy vehicles have been barred and they will be stopped from entering at Acchad Naka and Amboliwith PTI inputs