Mumbai Traffic Halt: Maratha Quota Stir Prompts Major Road Closures

The Eastern Freeway and Sion-Panvel highway in Mumbai will experience a complete shutdown except for emergency vehicles this Friday, due to the Maratha quota protest at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. The order was enforced by the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic).

Activist Manoj Jarange declared his intention to begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, advocating for reservation rights for the Maratha community. His convoy is expected to arrive in Mumbai early Friday morning, signaling the start of intensified protest actions.

The traffic order specifies that other key roads such as Panvel-Sion Road, V N Purav Road, and P D'Mello Road, among others, will be inaccessible to regular vehicular movement from 6 am Friday until further notice, focusing on facilitating emergency service transport in light of the demonstration.

(With inputs from agencies.)