Mumbai, September 2: Security has been tightened around Maharashtra’s Mantralaya as the Maratha quota agitation led by Manoj Jarange-Patil entered its fourth day on Monday. Police erected three-tier barricades and sealed key roads near the state secretariat to prevent protestors from storming the premises.
Over 25,000 agitators have gathered in South Mumbai, with Azad Maidan and areas around CSMT and BMC headquarters choked by parked vehicles and swelling crowds. Authorities deployed 2,000 police personnel, 450 traffic officers, and SRPF units to maintain order.
Traffic diversions were announced on J.J. Road, D.N. Road, Madame Cama Road, and other arterial routes, while BEST buses were rerouted via alternative junctions. Police appealed to citizens to avoid the CSMT Junction and cooperate with diversions.
Jarange-Patil, demanding OBC status for Marathas, warned that if no solution is reached this week, Mumbai streets would be flooded with protestors. His ultimatum has forced authorities to extend protest permission at Azad Maidan by another day.
