Gholap first sounded the bugle of revolt on July 30, when he led a morcha to Mantralaya to protest against the neglect of his cobbler community. Now, he is accusing the State Government of usurping the farmers lands by re-routing the proposed expressway from Rajyut Bahula to Adgaon to prevent the division of Nashik city.

‘‘The new alignment is to favour some builders, who would otherwise have lost their properties in the expressway project, Nashiks guardian minister told The Indian Express, after addressing a meeting of the new Action Committee of farmers in his hometown, Vihitgaon on Sunday. He said he would meet Chief Minister Manohar Joshi onWednesday to discuss the issue.

While the 128-km segment from Thane to Rajur Bahula was cleared without a hitch, the 17-km stretch from Rajur Bahula to Adgaon was re-routed to prevent it from slicing Nashik city as per the original plan. This was done at the behest of builders and property owners, who pointed out that the original alignment was based on a 1994 survey.

On July 26, Public Works Minister Nitin Gadkari announced in Nashik that the Rajur Bahula to Adgaon stretch has been altered to circumvent the city, via Pathardi, Vihitgaon and Eklehra. The new alignment passes along a proposed road in the development plan of the Nashik Municipal Corporation. It also cuts through farmland outside the municipal limits. Apart from devouring the farmland, the Rajur Bhula-Adgaon detour is more than double the distance originally planned.

Gholap says there will be no compromise on the issue and that the farmers action committee is demanding that the earlier alignment be adopted. He said he would not allowbuilders to be favoured at the cost of farmers. The detour defeated the purpose of shortening the distance between Mumbai and Nashik, he added.

Asked if his gesture could be interpreted as a revolt against the government, he said it was his duty to point out grassroot problems to the government. The new alignment would cleave through 700 acres of farmland, the action committee points out. Surprisingly, Gadkari had announced that the realignment had been finalised after discussions with local representatives and the NMC.

Gholap had assured farmers that he would protect their land as long as he was their guardian minister. He had led a morcha of cobblers on July 30 to remind Manohar Joshi that he had not fulfilled the promises made at a rally on January 26, 1995, at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.