The Maratha Kranti Morcha has announced a bandh in Mumbai and the adjoining areas of Navi Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad today to press for the community’s demand for a 16% quota in government jobs and education.
The Maratha Kranti Morcha, which is spearheading the agitation, said that essential services such as hospitals, ambulance services, water supply, fire brigade, and schools and colleges including school buses would be exempt from the bandh.
However, sources said rail and rasta rokos were likely in a few areas, autos and taxis may not be allowed to ply and shops and establishments may be told to keep shutters down.
Quotas for Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state’s population, has been a hugely contentious issue.
A constable deployed near the funeral venue of the protester who jumped to death yesterday, died. Police said the cause of death is yet to be ascertained.
“The postmortem report is awaited. Some injury marks were seen on his hands and legs,” a police official said, adding another constable there got injured in stone-pelting.
Protester Kakasaheb Shinde, 27, had jumped to death from a bridge over the Godavari in Aurangabad on Monday.
