Mumbai: Mumbai Police has extended permission for the Maratha quota agitation led by Manoj Jarange-Patil at Azad Maidan for one more day (Saturday, August 30).
Maratha agitators have gathered on the road in front of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus since morning. As a result, traffic on the roads leading from this area to Fort, Girgaum, the General Post Office, Mantralaya, and J. J. Flyover has come to a complete standstill. Long queues of vehicles have formed on all the roads around the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Since there are three hospitals in this area, the agitators are making way for ambulances.
Jarange has called for a protest at Azad Maidan on Friday, declaring that he will not leave Mumbai without securing a reservation. A large number of Maratha agitators have arrived in the city from across the state for this protest. The agitators have taken an aggressive stance, alleging that the government is ignoring them. With hotels and stalls in the area closed, the protesters began cooking breakfast and meals by lighting grills on the Mumbai Municipal Corporation road.
Due to the large gathering, traffic heading to and from Fort, Girgaum, the General Post Office, Mantralaya, and J. J. Flyover has come to a standstill. Traffic towards J. J. Flyover has stretched back as far as Byculla. BEST buses and many private cars are stuck at several points along this route. Senior police officers are appealing to the protesters to shift to Azad Maidan instead of blocking the roads. However, the police are facing difficulties as the agitators are refusing to move.
Since it is Saturday, many government offices are closed. Although employees going to government offices in the morning were not affected, those working in private offices have faced major disruptions. Many citizens had to wade through the crowd of protesters to reach their workplaces, and many vehicles were delayed due to the gridlock.
Maratha protesters have continued with their aggressive stance, leading to a massive gathering around the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Police are attempting to ease the traffic congestion, but as the agitators are not cooperating, two teams of the Rapid Action Force have been kept on standby.
