Jarange begins hunger strike as Maratha quota protest brings Mumbai to standstill; traffic restrictions issued

MAratha quota tempestuousness leader Manoj Jarange on fri began his indefinite hungriness walk out at bombay’s historic Azad Maidan, declaring he would not budge until the community’s demands were fulfilled.The 43-year-old activist arrived at the protest site around 9.45 am to a rousing reception, with thousands of supporters waving saffron flags, caps, and scarves, chanting slogans as they rallied behind him.“I will not go back until our demands are met. Even if I am shot dead, I will not retreat,” Jarange told the crowd in a fiery address that drew thunderous applause.He accused the government of forcing the Maratha community’s hand. “It is the government’s lack of cooperation that has brought us here. Now that permission has been granted for this protest, we must respect the law, cooperate with the police, and ensure nothing is done to tarnish the community’s image,” he urged.Jarange also appealed to his supporters to maintain discipline in Mumbai. He asked them to park their vehicles at designated spots and to clear the roads within two hours to avoid causing inconvenience. “Do not block the streets. Let Mumbaikars move freely. Those who want to leave the city today should be able to do so without trouble,” he said. Here is what we know so far:Over 1,500 police personnel and multiple central forces have been deployed to manage the crowd and maintain law and order.With the ground capable of holding only 5,000 people at a time, police have denied permission to three other organisations seeking to hold protests on Friday.In view of traffic congestion on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Sion-Panvel Highway caused by Jarange's convoy, Navi Mumbai Police have imposed restrictions on vehicular movement on certain city roads.Key roads, including the Eastern Freeway, Sion-Panvel Highway, Panvel-Sion Road, V N Purav Road, P D’Mello Road, Wallchand Hirachand Marg, Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road, and Hajarimal Somani Road, will remain closed from 6 am on Friday for all vehicular traffic except emergency services.Railway security has also been strengthened. At CSMT, 40 additional Railway Protection Force personnel and 60 Maharashtra Security Force personnel have been deployedMaharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the “state government is positive about solving the issues of the Marathas if they are social and financial in nature and not related to political reservation”.Manoj Jarange has assured that his supporters would hold their agitation peacefully and would not disrupt the ongoing Ganesh festival in Mumbai.The activist has been pressing for a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He has demanded that all Marathas be recognised as Kunbis, an agrarian caste listed under OBC, which would make them eligible for quotas in government jobs and education.Mumbai Police have permitted Jarange to hold a peaceful protest from 9 am to 6 pm, after which all protesters will be required to vacate the venue. Jarange, who set out from Antarwali Sarati in Jalna on Wednesday with a convoy of vehicles, was greeted by supporters at Vashi before heading to Azad Maidan on Friday morning.With PTI inputs