Maratha Quota Protest: Manoj Jarange Reaches Mumbai Ahead Of Azad Maidan Rally

Reservation protest is set to raise the political temperature in Mumbai on Friday as Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange reached the city in the morning amid heavy police deployment. The leader is set to address a protest at the iconic Azad Maidan.

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, news agency PTI reported.

The Mumbai police have allowed Jarange permission to stage peaceful protests at Azad Maidan on Friday between 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. At 6 p.m., all protesters will have to leave the site, police said.

The demonstration comes amid Ganesh festival celebrations in the city. Jarange has said his supporters would protest peacefully and not disrupt festivities.

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.

A traffic advisory has also been issued.

Jarange left along with his supporters 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% quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

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.

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