Amit Shah’s Pune Visit: PMC Rushes to Fill Potholes as BJP, Congress Plan Protests

Pune, 31st July 2026: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials carried out pothole repair work in heavy rain on Friday along the route of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to the city, while his visit also triggered a political face-off between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Pune on Saturday, August 1, to present the Lokmanya Tilak National Award to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at a ceremony to be held at Maharashtriya Mandal Ground in Gultekdi. He will also pay floral tributes at the memorial of Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe in Sarasbaug on the occasion of the social reformer’s birth anniversary.

Ahead of the visit, PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram directed civic officials to ensure that roads along the Union Home Minister’s route were repaired. Following the directive, PMC teams were seen filling potholes despite continuous rainfall, even as several other roads across the city remain in poor condition during the monsoon.

Meanwhile, the Congress has announced a protest against the alleged police action on students during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Following a meeting at Congress Bhavan, Pune City Congress (East) President Prashant Jagtap and Pune City Congress (West) President Deepti Chaudhary announced that the party would stage a protest at Seven Loves Chowk on Shankarsheth Road at around 10:15 am on Saturday.

The Congress alleged that students participating in the protest in Delhi were subjected to police action and claimed that action against demonstrators continued even after the protest concluded. The party said the demonstration in Pune would be held to oppose what it described as the government’s “authoritarian approach.”

The BJP, however, has announced a counter-protest at the same location. BJP Pune City President Dheeraj Ghate said the party would respond if any attempt was made to disturb the city’s atmosphere, raising the possibility of political tension during Amit Shah’s visit.

In view of the high-profile visit and the planned demonstrations, security has been tightened across Pune. Police and civic authorities have been placed on alert to ensure the smooth conduct of the Union Home Minister’s programme and maintain law and order in the city.