Protesters stage ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation in S Mumbai

Ahead of their plans to lay siege to the State Secretariat in South Mumbai on August 9, Maratha activists on Wednesday staged a “Jail Bharo” agitation at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai over the reservation issue, even as protesters continued protests in some parts of the State.

However, hundreds of protesters resorted to road blockades in phases along the Solapur-Pune highway as part of the “Jail Bharo” agitation,  causing a major traffic disruptions and jams along the busy highway.

The “jail bharo” agitation will continue in other parts of the state in the coming days. Justifying the low turnout of activists at Azad Maidan, a Maratha leader said: “The jail bharo was confined to Mumbai. Today being a working day, most of our activists are away at work. That’s why the attendance is relatively low here”.

The activists, who courted arrest after a protest at Azad Maidan, were among other  things demanding withdrawal of cases booked against activists who had indulged in stone throwing and arson during the Mumbai bandh on July 25 over Maratha reservations, initiation of criminal cases against police persons resorting to unprovoked lathi-charge against the protesters and an apology from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for delay in according reservations.

The protesters were also demanding an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh to the families of each of Marathas killed during the agitation and Rs 10 lakh  each to those injured.

The road blockades between the Nashik-Pune highway continued for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. So much so that with Nashik-Pune highway out of bounds, thousands of vehicle users proceeded to Pune via Kalyan.

The protesters staged a relay dharna in front of distrifct Guardian Minister Sambhaji Patil-Nilangekar at Latur.  The activists gathered there raised vociferous slogans against the minister, Maratha legislators and the State government for their failure to deliver on the promise of granting 16 per cent reservations to Marathas in jobs and education. 

In Aurangabad, some Maratha activists tonsured their heads as a mark of protest against the state government.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government had tightened security in sensitive towns across the state.

In a related development, Marathas are preparing for a massive show-down with the State government on August Kranti Din on August 9, when thousands of activists will converge in Mumbai and lay siege to Mantralaya (State Secretariat) in protest against  the state government’s failure to fulfil of granting 16 per cent reservations to their community members in jobs and education.