Mumbai's Azad Maidan turned into a sea of saffron as thousands of people demanding reservations for the Maratha community gathered here in what was their 58th protest in a year.
Wearing saffron caps and carrying flags, the protesters walked down south Mumbai's JJ flyover, which was closed for vehicular traffic, winding their way to the protest venue.
At the Jijamata Udyan, where the Maratha morcha began at 11 AM, protesters tore banners put up by the Shiv Sena, stressing that they did not want any "political interference".
Rajya Sabha member Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje told reporters at Azad Maidan he was participating in the march not as a Member of Parliament but as an "ordinary member" of the Maratha community.
Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh also voiced his support to the protest march with a late night tweet.
"Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha," the actor tweeted in Marathi, referring to a popular slogan.
At Azad Maidan, a morcha participant -- dressed like Chhatrapati Shivaji -- was heard extolling the virtues of a "government of the people and for the people", as practised by the Maratha king.
The protesters have been demanding reservation in jobs and educational institutions for members of the Maratha community, punishment for culprits in the Kopardi case and loan waivers for farmers