Over 5 crore Marathas will march to Mumbai if demands ignored, warns Jarange

As his Azad Maidan protest entered day four, activist Manoj Jarange accused CM Devendra Fadnavis of stalling quota decisions and warned that lakhs of Marathas were “waiting for the right time” to pour into Mumbai, even as traffic snarls and disruptions hit the city.

Mumbai: Activist Manoj Jarange on Monday warned that more than 5 crore Marathas will come to Mumbai if Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis does not listen to the quota demands of the community.

Jarange, whose stir for quota for the community entered its fourth day at Azad Maidan in the southern part of the metropolis, accused Fadnavis of deliberately delaying a decision on the issue. "It is so easy to take a decision (on providing quota to the community). The state government has to just say that it is implementing the Hyderabad, Satara and other gazetteers and declare all Marathas in Marathwada as Kunbis.

The distribution of such certificates can be done by the district collectors and tehsildars," Jarange claimed. "Marathas are waiting to arrive in Mumbai. They are waiting for the right time. More than 5 crore Marathas will come to Mumbai if Fadnavis does not listen to the demands of the community," the activist warned.

Jarange also asked quota protesters to ensure Mumbaikars are not inconvenienced due to them. Hundreds of Maratha community members seeking quota have gathered at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and other areas in south Mumbai, causing traffic congestion and inconvenience to commuters.

The police diverted traffic heading towards CSMT area, while the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking also suspended, diverted or curtailed buses on all routes leading to CSMT, according to officials. Jarange also claimed three supporters have died since he began his protest on August 29.