Activist Manoj Jarange's stir for a quota for the community entered its fourth day at Mumbai's Azad Maidan on Monday. He warned that more than five crore Marathas will come to Mumbai if Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis does not listen to the quota demands of the community. Jarange has been on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai since Friday, asserting he would not leave the metropolis till the Maratha community is given a reservation.
Hundreds of protestors have gathered at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and other areas in south Mumbai, causing traffic congestion and inconvenience to commuters. Many protesters were still waiting on the platform and near the tracks by the afternoon, forcing the railway administration to impose a 'caution order' as a precautionary measure.
Protesters who decided to gather at vital points such as the CSMT and Churchgate railway station and Marine Drive promenade have caused issues for normal life in Mumbai. CSMT, a crucial hub for the Mumbai Suburban Railway network, which transports over 7.5 million commuters daily across its various lines, witnessed more than 300 Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel being deployed on Monday to control the situation. Agitators are protesting by climbing poles with flags in their hands, Marathi media reports said.
Earlier, train services were slowed down after many protesters decided to take up positions at the CSMT railway tracks to raise slogans, Lokmat said in a report. Local trains were running late by about 20 to 30 minutes as a consequence, affecting the routine of lakhs of passengers, the report added.
There was also the risk of agitators getting electrocuted by the overhead wires and officials have warned them to stay clear of them. The railway traffic delays have angered the Mumbai public, Marathi media reports said.