Maratha community unrest chokes Ahmednagar

The Maratha community conducted the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) in Ahmednagar on Friday. Community leaders and groups claimed that around 35 lakh people participated in the morcha, while around 6 lakh policemen maintained law and order. The same day, thousands of activists took out two-wheeler rallies in different areas of Nashik as a curtain raiser to the MKM rally to be held there on Saturday.

The protest march in Ahmednagar began around 11 am from Wadia Park and, after covering 2 km, culminated at the collector’s office. As it progressed, more and more people joined the rally.

“All arterial roads leading into the city were choked with traffic. Traffic jams as long as 8 km were witnessed on most of the roads as hordes of people from Ahmednagar tehsil arrived to participate in the morcha,” said senior leader Vijaykumar Thube.

In Nashik, aiming to create awareness about the morcha, thousands of people riding two-wheelers staged rallies in different areas. In each area, participants on 200-500 vehicles took part in the rallies, said social worker Vikram Kadam. Saffron flags could be seen flying on the 50-km Mumbai-Agra Highway stretch between Nashik and Malegaon.

Gearing up for the Saturday’s MKM rally in Nashik, over 1,000 police personnel, including IPS officials, 26 police inspectors and 97 police sub-inspectors have been deputed to maintain law and order.

Educational institutions across the city will remain shut in the wake of the rally. The zilla parishad, through a circular, has announced a holiday in schools on Saturday. The traffic across the city would be diverted due to the morcha, which would clash with school timings.