Maharashtra bandh: Protesters disrupt traffic over Maratha quota

The Maharashtra bandh called for by the Maratha leaders from 8 am to 6 pm across Maharashtra led to not less than a whopping number of 19,000 buses to go off road. The Maratha leaders have called for the bandh demanding a written assurance of Maratha reservation, with a time-bound programme for fulfilling it.

However, while calling for the bandh, the Maratha leaders have also made it clear through the media that the bandh will be tried to be carried out peacefully without creating any chaos and violence. The bandh will remain ineffective in places like Navi Mumbai and Thane.

Sambhaj Brigade’s Pune unit president Santosh Shinde said “We have urged agitators to ensure that Thursday’s protests are held peacefully. There should be no violence of any kind, no public property should be damaged,”

Although the umbrella organization have assured of no practice of violence during the bandh, but the authorities do not want to take any risk with the lives of the common people. Hence, it has ordered closure of schools and colleges in some areas.

Keeping terms with the Maharashtra bandh call, the All India Kisan Sabha has also organised a protest from Churchgate Railway Station to Hutatma Chowk. They are to stage a 'jail bharo aandolan' at 5 pm today. PM Vartak, the General Secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions' Mumbai unit, while speaking to The Indian Express, said, "The protest is against the BJP government's anti-labour, Dalit and tribal policies."

In another act of protest, a pro-Maratha organisation called Maratha Kranti Morcha, have also announced that they are going to sit outside the Mumbai Suburban Collector's office in Bandra (East). The convener of the Morcha in Mumbai Nanasaheb Kute states, “We have decided to hold a sit-in protest outside the office of the Mumbai Suburban Collector in Bandra (East). It will be a peaceful protest from 11 am to 2 pm with protesters wearing black badges. Then, we will hand over a letter containing our demands to the collector and leave."