Mumbai police extend permission to Maratha quota protesters; traffic blocks continue in city
The Mumbai traffic police issued an advisory on Saturday, asking people not to take the Eastern Freeway, which was still witnessing gridlocks amid the Maratha reservation agitation.
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There were massive traffic jams at the north end of the freeway in Chembur as well, leading the police to close down a few roads to stop protesters from taking the freeway. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)The Mumbai police on Saturday extended police permission for the Maratha quota agitation, led by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, a day after thousands of protesters thronged the city, causing traffic blocks in south and central Mumbai. While the extension period for which the permission was granted was not mentioned, sources said that, usually, permission for such protests is extended for a day at a time.
A police officer said that an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 Maratha agitators had entered Mumbai on Thursday night on nearly 11,000 vehicles. “Nearly 25 per cent of them have gone to places in Thane and Navi Mumbai, as it is easier to find places to stay there. However, they may join protests on Monday,” an official said.
On Saturday, the Mumbai traffic police issued an advisory asking people not to take the Eastern Freeway, which was still witnessing gridlocks, as Maratha protesters used the route to reach Azad Maidan, the venue of Jarange-Patil’s protest.
On Friday, the freeway was completely out of bounds for citizens as traffic was blocked, leading to a cascading effect on the Eastern Express Highway and the Atal Setu, which also witnessed traffic snarls.
There were massive traffic jams at the north end of the freeway in Chembur as well, leading the police to close down a few roads to stop protesters from taking the freeway.
Jarange-Patil, who began an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan on Friday morning over his demand for quota benefits for the Maratha community, had said earlier that he “would not back down this time”. “We will not leave Mumbai until our demands are met,” he had asserted.
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