Mumbai bandh as state continues to burn

Mumbai: Though the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) called a bandh in Mumbai and its four adjoining districts on Wednesday, the agitation continued unabated in the rest of the state as well. Protesters held ‘rasta roko’ at the Mumbai-Pune expressway, the Nashik-Dhule and Nashik-Aurangabad highways, whereas protests were held in Ahmednagar, Pune, Aurangabad and Sangli district.

The MKM volunteers from Parali, Beed, where the ‘thiyya andolan’ (sit-in agitation) began eight days ago, continued their protest. They have asked the state government to come to Parali and hold talks with the agitators.

While the bandh call was for Mumbai on Wednesday, the ongoing protest in Maharashtra continued to be aggressive.

Protesters came on to the road from both sides of the Mumbai-Pune expressway and closed down the road for almost five hours. Nashik city also saw the bandh in a few pockets on Wednesday. MKM activists stopped traffic on all roads coming into city. They sat on dharna on the Aurangabad-Nasik and Dhule-Nashik road for entire day, bringing the city’s traffic to a total standstill.

At Parali, Beed, protesters continued their dharna for the ninth day on Wednesday. The Maratha stir kicked off from Parali this time and was later picked up in Aurangabad and Solapur districts mainly.

“We are firm on our demand for the implementation of reservation. We will not end it until state government takes a decision. If the state government wants to discuss anything with us, then it needs to come to us,” said Aabasaheb Patil, leader of agitation here.