Mumbai: A protest for Maratha reservation today reached Mumbai, days after violent clashes between police and protesters in Maharashtra's Jalna district. Protesters today have gathered at Mumbai's iconic Marine Drive and also outside the Plaza Cinema in Dadar demanding reservation for the Maratha community.
The reservation provided by the state government for the politically dominant Maratha community was quashed by the Supreme Court earlier.
The protest in Marine Drive started early morning today and has led to a heavy police deployment in the area. The protesters have so far disregarded requests to vacate the area and move the demonstration to Azad Maidan.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has also joined the protests and urged the Centre to provide the reservations in the special session of Parliament convened later this month.
Yesterday, Mr Thackeray had visited violence-hit Jalna and demanded the resignation of state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the protests in which at least 38 policemen have been injured.
He also slammed the "government brutality" of police lathi-charging the protestors.