Even though the final talks with Navi Mumbai police failed, the All Party Action Committee (APAC), which has given a call for ‘CIDCO gherao’ on Thursday, is firm on holding the protest demanding that the airport be named after the late D B Patil. It’s aiming at an assembly of around one lakh people, posing a serious threat with the third Covid-19 wave looming large. The administration sounds helpless, with police urging protesters to avoid such a huge gathering.

The protest is against the decision to name the upcoming airport in Navi Mumbai after the late Balasaheb Thackreay. Local residents want the airport to be named Diba Patil, after the late advocate Dinkar Balu Patil. The APAC was formed to intensify their demand, and a protest was held on June 10 across Navi Mumbai and Raigad. “We told the committee that the gherao may become a Covid-19 super spreader. Also, as CIDCO Bhavan is near the Sion-Panvel Highway, crowding will result in massive traffic congestion,” said a senior police officer.