The protesters claimed that farmers had suffered heavy crop damage this season and urged the Maharashtra government to announce immediate financial relief

The agitators demanded compensation of Rs 5 lakh per hectare for damaged mango orchards and Rs 3 lakh per hectare for cashew plantations

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders including Arvind Sawant joined the protesters

Protesters accused the government of ignoring the concerns of Konkan farmers despite repeated appeals for assistance

The protesters staged a dharna near Mantralaya as part of the ‘Dhadak Kaifiyat Morcha’ in support of the farmers from the Konkan region

Farmer leader Raju Shetti and Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal along with other leaders held a sit-in protest on the road

During the protest, police detained several demonstrators

Following the announcement of the protest by Congress leaders, heavy police deployment was made at Girgaon and surrounding areas, affecting smooth traffic movements, sources said

Traffic snarls were reported in the Girgaon area as protesters gathered in large numbers and police carried out detentions to prevent disruption near government offices