Several activists of outfits advocating statehood for Maharashtra's Vidarbha region were detained as a preventive measure ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nagpur on Sunday, police said.

These activists, including those from Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti (VRAS), had planned black flag protests seeking the creation of a separate state, he said.

The detention of activists began on Saturday night and continued till this morning, the official said, adding they were kept in the office of Zone II deputy commissioner of police.

"More than 40 activists were also detained from Gittikhadan, Ambazari, Kotwali, Wathoda police station limits," he said.

In a jam-packed schedule in Nagpur since early morning, Modi visited the Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir at RSS headquarters and paid homage to the founding fathers of the Sangh. He also visited Deekshabhoomi, where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism in 1956.

Modi laid the foundation stone of Madhav Netralaya Premium Centre, a new extension building of Madhav Netralaya Eye Institute & Research Centre, named after late RSS chief Madhavrao Golwalkar.

The PM visited the Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited’s ammunition facility in Nagpur and inaugurated an airstrip for Unarmed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and a facility for testing loitering munition.

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