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Protesters, leaders detained at march over Navi Mumbai airport naming delay: Cop

Published July 8, 2026 at 1:14 PM UTC

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On July 8, 2026, a significant protest took place in Navi Mumbai, where members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and other activists marched from Panvel to Mumbai's Vidhan Bhavan. Their primary demand was the official naming of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) after the late peasant leader, Loknete Dinkar Balu (DB) Patil. The protest was organized by the Loknete DB Patil Airport Naming Action Committee and commenced at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Panvel. However, the police intervened shortly after the march began, detaining several leaders, activists, and protesters, and escorting them into police vans. Senior Inspector Bala Kumbhar stated that permission for the march had been denied due to prohibitory orders under Section 144, which were in effect because of the ongoing Maharashtra legislature session and a Red alert for heavy rain. He emphasized that any unlawful assembly or procession would invite legal action. Despite the detentions, some protesters continued their march towards Sanpada. The protest was a response to the indefinite hunger strike initiated by youth activist Rashmita Popeta, which had reignited the airport naming movement just days before NMIA was scheduled to commence international flight operations on July 15. Popeta, who had been on a hunger strike for several days, stated, "We are holding a peaceful agitation for DB Patil’s name. Arrest us, but you cannot silence this movement." Bhiwandi MP Suresh "Balya Mama" Mhatre criticized the police action, asserting that peaceful demonstrations during an assembly session were a democratic right. He added, "If ordinary citizens are denied the right to protest peacefully, it is wrong. There appears to be pressure on the police." By late afternoon, after protesters were detained across Navi Mumbai, organizers announced a temporary suspension of the day's agitation. Mhatre referred to this as a "tactical pause" and assured that the campaign would continue "with greater intensity and determination" until the airport was officially named after DB Patil. The demand to name NMIA after DB Patil has been a longstanding issue, with the Maharashtra Cabinet approving the proposal in 2021. However, it is still awaiting the Centre's approval. In May, the Supreme Court declined to direct the Union government to decide the issue within a fixed timeframe, observing that naming public infrastructure is an executive policy matter. Last month, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reiterated that the state had completed all formalities and was pursuing the proposal with the Centre. Protest leaders indicated that Wednesday's march would mark the beginning of a sustained agitation until the Centre formally approves the long-pending naming proposal.