Protesters, police clash in Barsu; netas spar in Mumbai

A clash reportedly erupted between protesters and police in Barsu where the villagers are opposing a proposed oil refinery after the police allegedly used batons and tear gas to stop them from reaching the drilling site where soil samples were extracted on Friday afternoonThe protesting villagers gave the government three days to stop work and leave the site threatening to resume their agitation otherwiseThe incident triggered a political war of words between the Shiv Sena splinters with the Uddhav Thackerayled outfit offering support to the protesters and demanding Chief Minister Eknath Shindersquos resignationShinde denied use of force by the police particularly baton charge while alleging presence of outsiders at the protest siteOppn targets CM DelhiRajya Sabha MP and Sena UBT chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said Shinde was following the orders of his bosses sitting in New Delhi ldquoThe CM may even ask to fire bullets Delhi wants the refinery at any cost Delhi has an agreement with international companies There is a big commission and kickbacksrdquo Raut allegedSanjay RautEarly in the day Sena UBT MP Vinayak Raut alleged that he was detained by the police when he was on his way to the protesters who had stayed put for at least three days on the disputed site Members of the Raju Shettiled Shetkari Sanghatana extended the support to the villagers and some of his activists had reached the spotIn the evening Opposition leader Ajit Pawar in a measured comment said the project should be carried out if it does not affect the environment and improves the lifestyle of the villagersAlso read Maharashtra State seeks Sharad Pawarrsquos advice after Barsu oil refinery protestsCongress president Nana Patole warned the government against forcing the project on the locals ldquoDonrsquot try to impose the project by assaulting the locals We will give a befitting replyrdquo said Patole adding that the decision should be taken only after considering the opinions of the locals He said hundreds of acres of land in Ratnagiri district where the refinery project is being set up have been acquired at low rates by outsiders and people close to the government ldquoNow the same land is being sold at high rates to earn moneyThe government should not try to take decisions in the interest of some people and under the pressure of Delhirdquo Patole addedHave consent of 70 per cent CMShinde recalled that even Samruddhi Mahamarg was opposed by the project affected people But when convinced of the benefits of the project the farmers voluntarily gave up their land for acquisition ldquoLikewise most people in Barsu and the neighbourhood know the benefits that will come their way through the refinery I appeal to the Opposition not to use this for political mileage and deny locals the advantage of jobs trade and businessrdquoThe CM said over 70 per cent locals had already given their consent for the refinery and the rest will also be heard and taken in confidence However the Ratnagiri collector and superintendent of police on Thursday returned emptyhanded because the upset protesters stayed away from meeting them He also questioned Uddhavrsquos aboutturn after suggesting Barsu as an alternative site to Nanar ldquoWhen he was the chief minister he wrote a letter to the Centre suggesting the site Now when he is not the CM he has changed his position Why Not just I but the entire Maharashtra wants to knowrdquo he saidlsquo90 per cent locals against refineryrsquoBarred entry in Barsu Satyajit Chavan an activist from Rajapur who had also petitioned the court opposing the Jaitapur nuclear plant told the media in Mumbai that the coastal Konkan didnrsquot want a refinery and a nuclear plant or any other project that will destroy the lsquoparadisersquo ldquoIf conducted a referendum in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts will have 90 per cent people voting against the refinery and other pollutant projects We have a very clear picture of the assurance of a big employment creation There will be some jobs during construction But since a very few skilled employees will be operating the project the locals will not have good jobs or have small jobs We donrsquot want to destroy the paradise we live in for meagre moneyrdquo said Chavan adding that the people in the government and the judiciary saw such projects only as an investmentHe also denied the involvement of outsiders in the agitation as claimed by the CM ldquoThe villagers collect funds every month to support the agitation which began formally in March this yearrdquo he said