Come Wednesday, and the state will witness one of the largest Maratha Kranti Morchas as lakhs of community members are expected to be part of the rally to be held in South Mumbai. The community will mark one year since the inception of these protests and it also aims to press for the various unfulfilled demands.
The silent march will start from Jijamata Udyan, Byculla at 11 am and conclude at Azad Maidan. "The Maratha community has come together on such a large scale for the first time to press their demands. The demands are justice to the Kopardi rape victim, reservation for the community, implementation of Dr Swaminathan Commission report, the amendment in Atrocity Act etc. There have been at least 56 rallies in the past one year but not a single demand has been met," said Sanjeev Bhor-Patil, a member of Maratha Sakal Samaj, the apex body of the community in the state.
Bhor-Patil said that the protest in Mumbai will be historic and final. "If CM Devendra Fadnavis fails to fulfil our demands, people will be frustrated further. If something untoward happens, the Maratha community should not be blamed," he warned.
Dhananjay Munde, the NCP MLC and Opposition Leader in the state Legislative Council said, "All demands of the community are in the public domain. Chief Minister Fadnavis should resolve these demands immediately. He should not test the public's patience. It has almost been a year since these demands are being shelved," said Munde.
Bhaiya Patil, the social media convenor for the morcha said that most people have already left for Mumbai. "WhatsApp groups have been made to guide people and a war room has also been set up at Dadar. Information is also being provided through other social media platforms," said Patil.
He added that the Maratha community from Pakistan have also extended their support.
