NAVI MUMBAI: Members of the Maratha community bought their ongoing State-wide campaign close to Mumbai on Tuesday with a massive rally in Navi Mumbai. Over two lakh members of the Maratha community marched in silence, in support of their demand for reservation and amendment to the Atrocity Act.
Triggered by the gang rape and murder of a minor in Ahmadnagar district’s Kopardi village, the rallies have received unprecedented support with community members coming together in record numbers in all districts across the State. Wednesday’s rally was the ninth in the series, but the first to be held in a metropolis. The previous rallies were organised in rural and semi-urban hinterlands of the State.
Labelled as Maratha Kranti Morcha, today’s march started from Central Park in Kharghar with the rallyists walking for five kilometres to reach the office of the Konkan Divisional Commissioner in Belapur.
Members of the organising committee — there is no name of any organisation, individual or political party — put the number of participants at over three-and-a-half lakh and said they mostly came from Navi Mumbai, Raigad and Thane.
According to police estimates, the previous rallies in Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Parbhani, Nanded, Latur, Hingoli, Beed and Akola have witnessed a turn out between two to five lakh people. On Wednesday, another rally was organised in Solapur.
A similar march has been organised in Amravati district of eastern Maharashtra on Thursday. It will begin from Nehru ground and end at the Girls’ Hostel square in Amravati city.
The last stop of the Maratha Kranti Morcha will be Mumbai where a rally is planned in October-end.
(With inputs from Pavan Dahat)
