Nashik: A farmer attending the rally of state fisheries minister Nitesh Rane in Baglan taluka on Monday night quickly made his way to the stage and put a garland of onions around the minister’s neck to protest against a drastic drop in onion prices in the wholesale market.
The police immediately brought the farmer down from the stage and detained him for a few hours before setting him free. Rane was at Chirai village in Baglan taluka to address a gathering at a programme organised for ‘Paduka Darshan of Sant Nivrittinath Maharaj’ about 9pm on Monday.
“While the minister was addressing the gathering, the farmer, Mahindra Lahu Suryavanshi, gained access to the stage and put the onion garland around Rane’s neck. It all happened too fast for anybody to react,” an officer from the Jaikheda police said.
Rane, however, remained unfazed and allowed the farmer to garland him. “When the farmer tried to address the people, the police stepped in and brought him down from the stage,” the officer said.
Later, a case was registered against the farmer under Section 223 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (related to the offence of disobeying an order issued by a public servant).