Maratha quota protest cripples south Mumbai; CR asks passengers to avoid travel to CSMT

Mumbai, Aug 28 (PTI) With crowds swelling at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) amid the Maratha quota protest launched by activist Manoj Jarange on Friday, the Central Railway appealed to passengers to travel to the station only if necessary.

Earlier in the day, office-goers faced inconvenience as thousands of Maratha protesters headed to the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai to join the protest launched by activist Manoj Jarange.

Traffic drastically slowed down in the southern and eastern parts of the city, especially on roads leading towards CSMT.

In a post on X, the divisional railway manager of Central Railway said, "In view of the heavy crowd gathering in and around the CSMT station, passengers are advised to travel to CSMT only if essential and unavoidable." Lakhs of office-goers arriving at CSMT walk or take BEST buses or taxis to their workplaces in business districts of Nariman Point, Fort, Kalabadevi, and Crawford Market every morning. They had a tough time due to the massive congestion at the CSMT junction.

The station has been witnessing heavy crowds of protesters along with regular passengers, with many sleeping and resting in the suburban concourse, leaving less space for passengers.

Several commuters complained of overcrowded suburban trains and the unavailability of BEST buses at bus stops.

"All suburban stations and local trains on the Harbour line have been more crowded than usual. Maratha quota protesters were at all stations between Wadala and CSMT," a suburban commuter said.

The protest caused delays in BEST bus services and led to diversions and curtailment of key routes, officials said. Several BEST buses were overcrowded, said users.

A BEST spokesperson said that all south Mumbai-bound services on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marg, a key route in the island city, were curtailed at Dadar. Many other routes ended at Bharatmata, Mumbai Central and other locations.

The Mumbai traffic police have appealed to motorists to avoid using the Eastern Freeway, one of the main corridors for reaching south Mumbai.

Jarange reached the Azad Maidan via the Eastern Freeway along with hundreds of vehicles. Several vehicles from his convoy also remain parked in areas around the Freeway.

Heavy police deployment was seen in and around Azad Maidan to maintain law and order.

The agitation also disrupted the routine schedules of students, as several educational institutions reported poor attendance. PTI NR KK ARU