Maratha quota agitation: Markets shut, road traffic affected in Mumbai, see pics
Maratha community held another protest in Maharashtra demanding reservation in education and jobs.
Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra on Thursday as part of their statewide protests over reservation demand. Despite an appeal from Maratha community leaders to observe a peaceful bandh, protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres in some places, a police official said.
Traffic was also affected in some parts of Mumbai due to bandh. Protesters took out silent marches in Mumbai's Ghatkopar suburb and in the neighbouring Thane district. A traffic department official said the number of vehicles on National Highway number four (Mumbai-Pune) and on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was significantly less compared to other days.
Though Navi Mumbai, which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests, was excluded from the bandh, security was stepped up in the area. Heavy security was deployed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa Highway near Kalamboli, a police official said.
A call for bandh was given by Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups. Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj, had said yesterday that they would hold a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm today.
Another Maratha faction, however, gave a call to hold a sit-in outside the Mumbai suburban district collector's office.
Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30% of the state's population, have been demanding 16% reservation. Community members had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation.