Nagpur sees protests on Maharashtra Day for Vidarbha statehood

Protests seeking a separate Vidarbha state were held in the coal mine area of Umred as well as Sadar in Nagpur on Monday to coincide with Maharashtra's Foundation Day, leading to some activists being detained for a while, police said.

Activists at Sadar sought to meet Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who later invited five of them for talks, police officials said.

Protesters, led by former MLAs Vamanrao Chatap and Mukesh Masurkar, told media they have set a deadline of December 31 for carving out of Vidarbha state from Maharashtra.