Manoj Jarange, the leader of the Maratha quota movement, arrived in Mumbai early Friday for a protest at Azad Maidan. He started his march from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on Wednesday, covering over 400 km. Jarange was welcomed by a large crowd of supporters at Vashi as he entered the city, accompanied by a convoy of hundreds of vehicles.
Thousands of his supporters from across Maharashtra have already reached Mumbai to join the protest. Jarange will begin an indefinite hunger strike at the Azad Maidan to press for reservation for the Maratha community.
Key roads closed in Mumbai
Meanwhile, the Eastern Freeway and Sion-Panvel highway have been closed for all vehicular movement on Friday in view of Jarange’s protest. However, emergency vehicles will be permitted to ply on these routes.
Besides, Panvel-Sion Road, V N Purav Road, Eastern Freeway, P D’Mello Road, Wallchand Hirachand Marg, Dr Dadabhai Nauroji Road and Hajarimal Somani Road will be closed for all types of vehicular traffic except emergency service vehicles.
The orders, issued by the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), will be in force from 6 am on Friday till further orders.
Jarange, 43, has been demanding 10 per cent reservation for Marathi people under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He is seeking Kunbis status for Marathi people, which is a farming community under OBC.
Jarange permitted to hold protest under several conditions
He has assured the authorities that his protest would be peaceful. The authorities have laid out 40 conditions, under which Jarange has been granted permission to hold the protest. He has been asked to refrain from using provocative slogans, maintain public orders and avoid traffic disruptions during his protest.
Security heightened in Mumbai
People participating in Jarange’s protest are required to leave Azad Maidan after 6 pm. To manage the crowd, authorities have restricted the number of vehicles allowed at the venue to five and limited the number of protesters to 5,000.
For safety and crowd control, more than 1,500 police personnel have been stationed at the protest site. Security has also been increased at the nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, where many supporters from rural parts of the state are expected to arrive.
