Maratha quota protest: Jarange reaches Azad Maidan in south Mumbai

Mumbai: Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange on Friday reached the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai to stage his protest along with thousands of supporters.

Accompanied by hundreds of vehicles, Jarange, who began his march from his village in Jalna district on Wednesday, was welcomed at Vashi by supporters as he entered Mumbai early in the morning.

Around 9.45 am, Jarange entered Azad Maidan amid police security and was greeted by thousands of supporters sporting saffron caps, scarves and saffron flags. Several supporters jostled to click pictures of Jarange and record videos of the moment.

The area near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) witnessed massive traffic congestion in the morning after Maratha quota protesters spilled onto the roads, an official said.

Jarange along with his supporters set out from Antarwali Sarati village, located over 400 km from Mumbai, to launch a fresh hunger strike.

The 43-year-old has been demanding a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

Jarange has said his supporters would protest peacefully and not disrupt the ongoing Ganesh festival.

He has been demanding that all Marathas be recognised as Kunbis – an agrarian caste included in the OBC category – which will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education.

The Jalna police allowed Jarange and his supporters to proceed with their march after imposing 40 conditions, directing them to avoid any law-and-order situations, not to cause disruptions to the movement of vehicles and to desist from raising “objectionable” slogans.

The Mumbai police have allowed Jarange to stage peaceful protests at Azad Maidan on August 29 (Friday) between 9 am to 6 pm. At 6 pm, all protesters will have to leave the site, officials said.

Police also stipulated that only five vehicles of protesters can head to Azad Maidan and the number of protesters there should not cross 5,000.

Over 1,500 Mumbai police personnel have been deployed at Azad Maidan to maintain law and order ahead of Jarange's agitation, officials said.

Security has also been beefed up at the CSMT, where quota agitation supporters have arrived from Maharashtra's hinterlands, the railway police said.