True Maha Day celebrations would be when we defeat Covid: Raut

Nagpur: “True Maharashtra Day celebrations would be when we defeat Covid by following all the norms like wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, using hand hygiene, not venturing out unnecessarily and helping each other in these difficult times,” said Nagpur District’s guardian minister Nitin Raut on the 61st anniversary of the state on Saturday.
While wishing people of the state, Raut, who is also the state’s energy minister, said, “As the vaccination programme for the age group of 18 to 44 years would be starting at a few centres, citizens should cooperate by getting themselves vaccinated.”
After hoisting the tricolour at the divisional commissioner’s office in Civil Lines, Raut was given a guard of honour. The national anthem was played by the band of Nagpur police at the simple ceremony attended by a few officials due to the Covid restrictions. The traditional parade held annually at Kasturchand Park too was called off.
Divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar, commissioner of police Amitesh Kumar, Nagpur collector Ravindra Thakre, municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B and rural SP Rakesh Ola were present. Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari, who came a bit late, missed the flag hoisting which was scheduled at 8 am.
VRAS stages protest for separate Vidarbha
Meanwhile, activists of the Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti (VRAS) under the leadership of Mukesh Masurkar, president of VRAS’s Yuva Aghadi, staged a protest against the Maharashtra government in front of the Vidarbha Chandika temple at Sahid Chowk in Itwari for a separate Vidarbha.
“Vidarbha is facing discrimination by the state government in the distribution of medicines required for Covid treatment,” alleged Masurkar.