The Maratha quota protest at Azad Maidan entered its fourth day on Monday, with activist Manoj Jarange intensifying his agitation by announcing that he will stop drinking water from today. Jarange, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike since Friday, has vowed to continue the protest even if it means “braving bullets” to secure a 10% quota for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
While past court rulings have made it clear that a blanket Maratha quota is legally untenable, the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government said on Sunday it will seek legal advice on implementing the Hyderabad gazetteer to grant Kunbi caste status — an OBC classification — to eligible members of the Maratha community. State Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the cabinet subcommittee on Maratha reservation, chaired two high-level meetings on the issue on Sunday.
Thousands of protesters remain stationed at Azad Maidan and nearby areas, bringing parts of south Mumbai to a near standstill. With government and private offices reopening after the weekend, Mumbai Traffic Police issued an advisory cautioning commuters of slow-moving traffic and intermittent disruptions during morning hours.
Business leaders have voiced concerns over the prolonged agitation. Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), said the gathering has disrupted weekend sales and caused “complete chaos” in south Mumbai, adding that the city feels “hijacked.”
The protest has also triggered political tensions. On Sunday, protesters blocked the car of NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule after she met Jarange at the protest site, raising slogans against Sharad Pawar. Sule has demanded that the state government convene a special legislative session and hold an all-party meeting to resolve the ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders targeted Sharad Pawar after his remarks suggesting a Constitutional amendment to bypass the Supreme Court-imposed 52% cap on reservations. NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal, opposing any dilution of the OBC quota, has called for a meeting of OBC leaders.
In another development, the TV Journalists Association lodged a complaint with Jarange after some of his supporters allegedly misbehaved with women reporters at the protest site, warning that media coverage could be boycotted if such incidents continue.
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