MUMBAI: Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra today as part of their statewide protests over the reservation demand.
Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna,
Solapur
and Buldhana districts, officials said.
Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, has called for a 'bandh' today across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community.
Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj, said yesterday that they would hold a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm today,
Another Maratha faction has, however, given an a call to hold a sit in outside the
Mumbai suburban district
collector's office.
The authorities had yesterday ordered closure of schools and colleges in some cities, including Pune, fearing violence.
Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in the densely populated township has decided to remain shut today.
Even as Maratha groups have excluded essential services from the bandh purview, the supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.
A vegetable seller in Mumbai's
Dadar
area said the 'bandh' was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause.
In Satara, no state transport buses were running today and all vehicles were parked at the central bus stand.
All petrol pumps and vegetable markets were also closed in Satara.
The pro-reservation agitators have decided to take out a bike rally in Pune district today.
A pro-quota group in Latur blocked roads from midnight and disrupted the vehicular movement.
There were similar protests in
Nashik
, Buldhana and Solapur districts where agitators blocked roads in some areas this morning, police officials said.