JARANGE HEADS TO MUMBAI

Jarange has been demanding that all Marathas be recognised as Kunbis - an agrarian caste included in the OBC category - which will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Activist Manoj Jarange and his supporters were set to reach the outskirts of Mumbai Thursday evening ahead of his indefinite hunger strike for reservations for the Maratha community, while the Maharashtra government said it was ready for talks.

Over 1,500 Mumbai police personnel have been deployed at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai to maintain law and order in view of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange’s agitation, officials said Thursday. Senior police officials, including Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satya Narayan, on evening visited the protest venue in the evening and took stock of the security arrangements.

In view of the protest, the police have put in place security arrangements at the Azad Maidan. They expect more than 20,000 protesters in south Mumbai, an official said.

Besides the local police, one company each of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) are also deployed at the protest venue and its surrounding areas to avoid any untoward incident, he said.

This was the right time for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to win the hearts of Maratha community by accepting the reservation demand, the “43-year-old activist said after reaching Pune.