Maratha community holds ‘Rasta Roko’ protests at three locations in city

Demands implementation of reservation and 'Sage Soyare' ordinance

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The members of the Sakal Maratha community staged 'rasta roko' protests at three key locations in the city, pressing for the implementation of the 'Sage Soyare' ordinance notification and demanding 50 percent reservation. The demonstrations, organized by the Sakal Maratha community, caused temporary disruptions at Harsul T-point, Mukundwadi, and Gajanan Maharaj Mandir chowk on Saturday.

The Mukundwadi Chowk witnessed the initiation of the protest, where demonstrators gathered, chanting slogans advocating for their cause. The protest commenced at 11 am, lasting for an hour, with participants from various political affiliations joining hands in support. Adorned with saffron caps and flags, protesters brandished placards expressing their solidarity with the movement. Former corporators Motilal Jagtap, Bhausaheb Jagtap, and Babasaheb Dange voiced their discontent, highlighting the government's alleged failure to fulfill promises made to the Maratha community regarding permanent reservation.

Traffic on alternative routes

To mitigate traffic congestion, authorities preemptively diverted vehicles through alternative routes. The traffic police diverted the traffic to alternative routes. The traffic coming from Chikalthana to the city was diverted through Dhoot Hospital. Also, the vehicles from Cidco were diverted to Chikalthana to ST workshop via Chikalthana MIDC. Only during the agitation, the buses and some other heavy vehicles that came to Mukundwadi Chowk were stuck for an hour due to the protest.

Tight security measures

The police, anticipating the protests, ensured tight security measures were in place. Despite efforts to minimize disruptions, some buses and other heavy vehicles faced delays due to road blockades.

Traffic jam at Harsul T-point

At Harsul T-point, traffic came to a standstill from 11 am to 12:30 pm as hundreds of Maratha protesters voiced their grievances through various slogans. Similarly, at Gajanan Maharaj Mandir Chowk, activists, led by Dnyaneshwar Gaikwad, staged a sit-in protest, causing a temporary blockade before being dispersed by police intervention.