The Mumbai Police on Friday evening expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to Mumbaikars as their commute towards South Mumbai was affected due to the entry of Maratha quota protestors and vehicles from hinterland for the ongoing agitation.
Taking to X, Mumbai Police posted, "We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to Mumbaikars as their commute towards South Mumbai was affected due to entry of large number of people and vehicles from hinterland for the ongoing agitation. We tried our best to minimise the inconvenience."
This post from Mumbai Police comes after Mumbaikars criticised the city police for poorly managing the protest that affected thousands of office-goers and for not informing citizens in advance.
The ongoing protest demanding Maratha reservation intensified on Friday as thousands of agitators gathered at Azad Maidan. Protesters who came from various parts of the state crammed the roads leading to the protest site, causing massive traffic congestion on the Mumbai Freeway. With routes ahead blocked, frustrated motorists were forced to abandon their vehicles, bringing traffic on the arterial road to a complete standstill.
The demonstration, led by Manoj Jarange Patil, has attracted thousands of Maratha Kranti Morcha activists advancing towards Azad Maidan through the Sion-Panvel highway, Panjarpol Road, and Atal Setu. Despite traffic police implementing revised traffic management measures in anticipation, the sheer volume of protest vehicles has paralysed movement throughout the city.
When authorities blocked sections of their planned freeway route to Azad Maidan, thousands of frustrated demonstrators organised a road blockade, sitting directly on the carriageway. This militant approach completely stopped all vehicular traffic, trapping regular commuters.
"Police deceived us by redirecting us here before sealing off the path," complained one agitated demonstrator. Speaking to trapped motorists, another activist declared: "We've abandoned our families for four days to secure our rights. What's the harm in you losing just one workday?"
Simultaneously, commuters expressed anger over the chaos. "Authorities should have given us prior notice about the rally and road closures," stated Meena Desai, among those caught in the gridlock.
