# Thousands protest, MLC held over Nashik-Pune rail route change 2026-08-09T20:51:32+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Thousands of protesters blocked the Nashik-Pune highway on Sunday against a proposed change to the semi-high-speed railway route. MLC Satyajeet Tambe, who led the protest at Sinnar, was detained by police. Traffic was disrupted on the Samruddhi Expressway and other roads as demonstrators demanded the original alignment via Sangamner and Narayangaon be retained. The government had proposed an alternative route via Shirdi over concerns that the original line could interfere with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune district. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has formed a four-member expert committee under former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar to study the issue. Protesters insist the committee's 60-day deadline must not be extended, and that public dialogues be held across talukas. ## Coverage - indiatoday.in - thehindu.com Tags: GMRT, MLC detained, Nashik, protest, Pune, railway route Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/thousands-protest-nashik-pune-rail-route-change-mlc-detained/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/thousands-protest-nashik-pune-rail-route-change-mlc-detained/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.