The city’s biggest festival, Ganeshotsav, is being celebrated with full enthusiasm, and while the Mumbai Police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure the festival passes off peacefully, Friday is set to be their real test. On one hand, the Ganeshotsav festivities are in full swing, and on the other, thousands of Maratha quota protesters are expected to arrive in Mumbai on Thursday night. Adding to the challenge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be in the city on Friday to seek the blessings of Lalbaugcha Raja, making it a day of tight security and heavy deployment for the police.
For the Maratha reservation protest scheduled at Azad Maidan on Friday, as many as 1,500 police personnel have been deployed at the venue to maintain law and order.
Ganeshotsav celebrations have gripped the entire city and suburbs, with devotees pouring in from across the country, especially at Lalbaug and Parel, where massive crowds are expected for darshan. To ensure safety, nearly 20,000 police personnel have been stationed across Mumbai, supported by the State Reserve Police Force, Quick Response Teams, Riot Control squads, Central Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force, and Bomb Disposal Squads.
Meanwhile, Maratha reservation leader Manoj Jarange Patil has announced an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan starting Friday. Thousands of his supporters, along with Patil himself, were expected to reach Mumbai on Thursday night and will gather at the protest venue the following day.
Adding to the police’s responsibility, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Lalbaugcha Raja and also seek blessings at other Ganeshotsav pandals, as well as at the residences of BJP leaders in the city. A strong security cordon has been put in place for Shah’s visit, with strict police deployment at every location he will attend.
To avoid any untoward incident during the Maratha agitation, Mumbai Police have taken special precautions. At Azad Maidan alone, the deployment includes two Additional Commissioners of Police, six Deputy Commissioners of Police, around 200 Assistant Commissioners and Inspectors, and nearly 1,300 constables.
With Ganeshotsav festivities, the Maratha reservation protest, and Amit Shah’s visit all coinciding on Friday, the Mumbai Police are bracing for one of their toughest security challenges in recent times.