Mumbai: No mashal march outside Matoshree, Maratha Kranti Morcha’s protest contained in a ground

Maratha Kranti Morcha’s attempt to organise the mashal march outside Matoshree, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in Bandra, did not materialise as the

Maratha Kranti Morcha’s attempt to organise the mashal march outside Matoshree, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in Bandra, did not materialise as the police did not allow protesters to hold the march.

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Rally organisers instead had to stage their protest in the ground opposite the collector’s office at Bandra. Their attempts to storm out of the ground were resisted by the police.

After five hours, state transport minister Anil Parab met the protesters and assured that Thackeray will meet them next week.

The protesters demanded that the government take steps to give relief to the Maratha community in view of the Supreme Court stay on Maratha reservation.

One of the coordinators, Abhijit Ghag, said Matoshree was chosen as the venue as it was the destination where many problems related to Maharashtrians were solved. “For decades, whenever any Maharashtrian faced any problem, Balasaheb Thackeray (Shiv Sena founder and Uddhav Thackeray’s father) would solve them at Matoshree. We now expect his son, who heads the state, to take proactive steps,” said Ghag. He said that the state government has the power to ensure a way out of this crisis.

On September 9, the Supreme Court (SC) stayed the implementation of the law granting reservation to Marathas and referred the matter to a larger constitutional bench. The Apex court had said that the state government had not shown any extraordinary situation which warrants the reservation.