Mumbai, Aug 31 (PTI) With the Manoj Jarange-led quota agitation escalating into its third day and an early resolution not in sight, hundreds of Maratha community members have been exploring prominent locations in Mumbai, including Marine Drive, the Gateway of India, and Girgaon sea beach.
On Sunday, the turnout of protesters in south Mumbai decreased compared to the overwhelming presence on Friday, when thousands arrived from across Maharashtra, bringing traffic to a standstill and occupying platforms at the CSMT station. Jarange, who has been on a hunger strike since Friday, has vowed to stop taking water from Monday as the government has not accepted his demand for an OBC quota for Marathas.
After participating in the protests at Azad Maidan, which has become the new nerve centre of the stir, hundreds of protesters visited local landmarks like Marine Drive and Gateway of India on Sunday.
Several ventured near the seashore by jumping the Marine Drive promenade, only to be dispersed by police personnel, while others enjoyed the sea view and captured it on their mobile phones.
Police personnel made frequent announcements highlighting safety and asked the enthusiastic groups not to venture into the sea at Marine Drive. Several groups wearing saffron scarves and intermittently raising “Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha” slogans visited the Gateway of India and the Girgaon seafront. A group of young protesters danced at CSMT in the afternoon.
A day earlier, thousands of Maratha community members camped in the areas surrounding the Azad Maidan. While some of them cooked meals in the parked vehicles, several others bathed in the open.
Many youngsters danced on the road to the beats of ‘halgi’, a traditional drum.
As the rains took a break, many more people were on the roads outside the iconic Victorian edifices of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), bringing the traffic to a standstill on Saturday morning.
The road outside the Azad Maidan has been closed for traffic, with parked vehicles of his supporters lining both sides.
The groups of protesters shouted slogans, asserting they would not leave until the community was granted reservation in the OBC category in government jobs and education.
Several members had visited the famous Jehangir Art Gallery, about one km away from Azad Maidan, on Saturday. Many visited the Gateway of India and thronged eateries in the area.
According to police, approximately 45,000 protesters travelled to South Mumbai on Friday, and about 30,000 of them stayed back overnight.
The protesters have arrived in the state capital from across Maharashtra — a significant number of them from the eight districts of Marathwada — in some 8,000 vehicles, as per police estimates. PTI DC GK NSK
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