Man climbs mobile tower seeking Dy CM Shinde's intervention in land dispute

A man climbed a mobile tower near Bhiwandi in Maharashtra, demanding Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's intervention in a long-standing land dispute.

A man climbed a mobile tower near Bhiwandi in the district on Wednesday morning seeking Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's intervention in a land dispute, and efforts to persuade him to come down safely were underway, an official said.

The drama which began at around 9:30 am drew a large crowd and he had not climbed down till late in the evening, a police official said.

The man climbed the tower carrying the tricolour, a portrait of Dr B R Ambedkar and a bottle of petrol, threatening to take an extreme step if his grievances were not addressed, said senior inspector Netaram Mhaske of Kongaon police station.

''He claims that his property and land issues have remained unresolved for several years. He has specifically demanded that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should personally come to the spot and negotiate with him,'' the official said.

A team of police personnel and revenue officials were at the spot and local authorities were appealing to him using a public address system, urging him to climb down safely and promising to look into his grievances, said inspector Mhaske.

''As of 8:30 pm, the man had not come down,'' he said.

''He had attempted a similar protest earlier too, '' Mhaske stated.