Mumbai: The Maratha Kranti Morcha in Mumbai on Wednesday will have at least 5 lakh Marathas participating in a massive rally, informed the city police on Tuesday. The Morcha will start at 11 am from Byculla zoo and end at 5 pm at the Azad Maidan on August 9. During the entire rally, the traffic in the city is set to witness massive disturbance and at least 7,000 police personnel have been deployed on Wednesday.
The Mumbai Police said that traffic will be diverted from Sir JJ Road, Mohammed Ali Road and the JJ Flyover up to CST and the Hazarimal Somani Marg. Both the roads are part of important and busy routes in South Mumbai. “There will be adequate security,” DCP Rashmi Karandikar, the city police’s spokesperson said as quoted by The Times of India. Mumbai district convenor Nanasaheb Kute-Patil said that over 25 lakh participants are expected to attend the rally. Kute-Patil also added that they have the required permission from police, traffic police, BMC and Mumbai port trust for the rally. “People should not step out of their houses unless it is urgent as traffic might be affected due to the silent Morcha,” said Raghunath Chitre-Patil, a Pune district convenor.
Reports say that the state authorities are not just expecting vehicular traffic, but also huge crowd on the three railway lines – Western, Central, and Harbour. The Mumbai Traffic Police will also use Twitter, FM Radio and other media to keep the citizens updated about the traffic and which route to avoid and prefer on the day of the Maratha Morcha Rally.
The Maratha Kranti Morcha started on August 9, 2016, to demand death penalty for the culprits of the Kopardi gangrape-murder. Later, they also took up other issues and demands of the Maratha community like quotas for Marathas in state-run educational institutions and government jobs, minimum support price for farm produce, and amendments to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.