The Nashik unit of the Congress party staged a protest in front of the entrance of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), which has been under criticism over issues such as land acquisition compensation, unfair measures for contractors and Godavari river pollution. They demanded that the NMC publish a white paper on its past five years of operations and address other concerns.

The protest was led by Congress city president Akash Chhajed, Vasant Thakur and secretary Rahul Dive. The NMC was supposed to pay land acquisition compensation to more than 350 people, but only 11 construction professionals were given Rs 55 crore, ignoring priority.

Farmers who provided land for the Kumbh Mela did not receive compensation. The protesters alleged that big contractors, in connivance with the administration, pocketed crores of rupees by falsely claiming to be farmers. They also highlighted the additional stress on civic facilities due to the lack of recruitment in the NMC over the past 24 years and demanded that all cadre posts be filled before the upcoming Kumbh Mela.

Other demands included the creation of a designated hawker area, justice for sanitation workers, permanent acquisition of 500 acres of land for the Kumbh Mela, smooth water supply, surveying hawkers and determining their locations and constructing parking lots on vacant land. They also insisted on closing sewage channels to prevent sewage from mixing into the river and called for the inclusion of local representatives, all-party leaders and citizens in the Kumbh Mela planning process.

The protesters submitted a memorandum of their demands to the Municipal Administration.