Mumbai Maratha agitation: quota protester assaults passenger on BEST bus
The Maratha reservation agitation led by Manoj Jarange-Patil has led to traffic snarls and disruption of public transport services across Mumbai.
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Roads towards Mantralaya closed as security reasons as Maratha reservation rally going on. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)An altercation broke out between Maratha reservation agitators and passengers aboard a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport bus at the Juhu bus stand on Sunday evening, BEST officials said on Monday.
The incident occurred at approximately 7.15 pm on a BEST bus plying on route number 201, the officials said.
“While the bus was standing at the Juhu bus station without staff inside, an argument broke out between Maratha protesters and some passengers. The protesters dragged a passenger inside the bus, assaulted him, and also broke the glass of the third window from the rear on the right side,” said a BEST official.
The authorities promptly called the police helpline. However, by the time the police arrived at the scene, both the protesters and the passengers involved had already dispersed. Officials said no one was injured in the incident.
The damaged bus was moved aside while the passengers resumed their journey on another bus.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of the citywide agitation, led by Manoj Jarange-Patil, demanding reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. Jarange-Patil is on a hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan.
The Maratha reservation agitation has led to traffic snarls and disruption of public transport services across Mumbai. Over the weekend, multiple areas experienced severe congestion, with BEST bus routes diverted and authorities urging commuters to follow updated traffic advisories.
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