Manoj Jarange’s Maratha quota protest tomorrow, Fadnavis govt deploys 1,500 cops in Mumbai

Jarange, 43, has announced an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from August 29. He began his journey from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on August 26 with thousands of supporters

More than 1,500 police personnel have been stationed at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai to ensure law and order ahead of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange’s protest beginning Friday, officials said on Thursday.

Security has also been tightened at the nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), where supporters of the quota movement have been arriving from different parts of Maharashtra, railway police officials added. Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satya Narayan and other senior officers visited the venue in the evening to review arrangements.

Jarange, 43, has announced an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from August 29. He began his journey from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on August 26 with thousands of supporters. On Thursday morning, he offered prayers at Shivneri fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, before proceeding towards Mumbai.

His main demand is that all Marathas be classified as Kunbis—an agrarian community included in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category—so they can benefit from reservations in education and government jobs.

Police officials estimate that over 20,000 protesters could gather in south Mumbai. Along with local police, one company each of the CRPF, RAF, CISF, and Maharashtra Security Force has been deployed around Azad Maidan to prevent any untoward incidents. Some of the central forces earlier assigned for Ganesh festival security have been redirected to the protest site, an official said.

Since Azad Maidan can accommodate only about 5,000 people at a time, police have denied permission to three other groups who had sought to hold demonstrations there on Friday. A few organisations have formally extended their support to the Maratha agitation, and letters to that effect have been submitted to the police, the official added.

Meanwhile, Jarange’s convoy caused traffic congestion on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway and the Sion–Panvel Highway, prompting Navi Mumbai Police to impose restrictions on vehicle movement in certain areas.

At CSMT, additional deployment includes 40 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and around 60 Maharashtra Security Force personnel, officials said. Central Railway has also positioned 240 extra RPF personnel at various suburban stations, while the GRP has increased its presence at CSMT with 40 additional staff, on top of the regular 160 posted during the day and 70 at night.

Throughout the day, groups of Maratha protesters wearing saffron caps and scarves and carrying saffron flags were seen heading from CSMT towards Azad Maidan, raising slogans along the way. Many took shelter inside the station during heavy rain.