While the Maratha outfit Maratha Kranti Morcha carried on with their bandh rituals across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra demanding reservation for the community, many were waiting for a response from CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Well, he did tweet, but it wasn’t on expected lines. Fadnavis’ tweet was for Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is celebrating her birthday today. Fadnavis’ tweet reads, “Heartiest Birthday Greetings, Hon Union Minister @HarsimratBadal_ ji !
Wishing you a long life and good health!”
Heartiest Birthday Greetings, Hon Union Minister @HarsimratBadal_ ji !
Wishing you a long life and good health !— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 25, 2018
Not surprisingly, the tweet did not go down well with a lot of people, who reminded him of the prevailing situation in Mumbai and that of the state in general.
See Reactions
Sir #Mumbaibandh is going on, there is huge unrest in the masses of Maharashtra whereas you are busy in wishing on someone’s birthday. It’s disgusting.
— Malhar (@MalharTakle) July 25, 2018
Pls focus on the problems with Mumbai bandh … it is shocking that you are sending out birthday greetings!!
— neeraj vyas (@neevigo) July 25, 2018
mumbai bandh hy inko bday ki padi hy
— Funnyguy (@Funny4uonly) July 25, 2018
इथे मराठा मोर्चा व ठाणे, नवी मुंबई, मुंबई बंद आहे. सर्वत्र हिंसा सुरु आहे आणि तुम्ही वाढदिवसाच्या शुभेच्छा द्यायला वेळ आहे पण आंदोलन वर बोलायला वेळ नाही..
— Tejas Chitnis (@tejaschitnis1) July 25, 2018
#मराठा_आरक्षण ला पण साहेब मुहुर्त काढा की शुभेच्छा देण्याची .
आम्ही पण वाढदिवस साजरे करतो मग— sagar more (@sagarmo47105469) July 25, 2018
Since morning large groups of Maratha activists armed with saffron flags and banners, have taken to the streets with noisy processions amidst tight police security in Mumbai and other districts. Roads were blocked in several parts of Mumbai. There was an attempt to block the suburban railway system in Thane. Stones were pelted at city transport buses in Navi Mumbai, and private vehicular traffic was also stopped by the protestors.
Most shops and commercial establishments remained shut in important pockets like Dadar, Andheri, Mulund, Kanjurmarg, Borivali, Kandivali, and in many other places as Maratha activists went around requesting shopkeepers to down shutters and express solidarity with their cause.
A large group of protestors blocked certain pockets on the Eastern Express Highway and Western Express Highway, disrupting normal traffic movement, as well as arterial roads in the suburbs, stopping all vehicles from plying to and from on the highways.