The Maratha community members today staged 'chakka jam', as a part of their ongoing protests across Maharashtra to press for their demands, including reservation.
Vehicular movement on some roads connecting Mumbai to Pune, Nashik and Gujarat were affected because of the agitation, the protesters said.
According to Mumbai police, there were reports of the agitation being held at Kurla, Bhoiwada, Trombay, Bhandup, Mankhurd areas in the metropolis in a peaceful manner.
A meeting regarding the agitation was held in Mumbai two weeks back where the line of action was decided, the Maratha community leaders involved in the planning said.
The community leaders have also decided to hold their 'biggest' rally in Mumbai on March 6, the first day of the state Budget session.
The community, pre-dominant in Maharashtra politics, had earlier taken out silent marches in various districts of the state last year, following the rape and murder of a girl at Kopardi in Ahmednagar district. The victim girl was a Maratha, while the culprits were Dalit.
The community members are demanding inclusion in OBC category, reservations for Marathas in educational institutes and government jobs, and strict punishment for accused in the Kopardi rape and murder case.
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Meanwhile, state Congress unit chief Ashok Chavan
said, "The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has so far only mislead Maratha community. The Congress-NCP government had taken a decision for the Maratha and offered some reservations. But the new government did nothing on our decision."
"It is the same government of BJP-Shiv Sena that had made promises of taking quick decisions on offering reservation to Maratha community. But after being voted to power, the same government is ensuring delay in the legal battle. People are agitated because of such treatment from the new government," Chavan said.
