Maharashtra | We were treated like terrorists: Farmer after clash with police over airbase plan

After farmer protests against the construction of a boundary wall by Indian Navy in Kalyan turned violent on Thursday, police resorted to lathi charge and used pellet guns to disperse the dissenters. The angry villagers claimed that they were treated like terrorists and not as farmers clamouring for their rights.

Jagdish Mhatre, 33, Chairperson, BT Gaikwad English Medium School, said, "We were not treated as farmers but as terrorists. The government will never be able to resolve the issue with this attitude." Mhatre received six pellet injuries during the protest.

Bhupesh Mhatre, 17, suffered 17 pellet injuries and was unable to walk when he was taken to a hospital. "We were protesting silently when the police approached us and even used force on the women. Only after this we resorted to stone pelting," he said.

The 1,600-acre defence land has been encroached upon by several commercial and residential illegal constructions. The state government seems to have turned a blind eye to these developments, and this has spiked the growth of such structures.

Rahul Sinha, PRO, Defence, said, "The state government had been informed about the land long back. Now we are initiating a project on the land in question and have been given adequate protection from the police for the development of the boundary wall."

Though the police were able to quell the protests, the situation remained tense until late evening. Sources revealed that the villagers will be holding a meeting to decide on further action.