Mumbai traffic was severely disrupted in South Mumbai on Tuesday after thousands of Sakal Matang Samaj members gathered near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to demand sub-categorisation of the Scheduled Caste reservation. Police diverted vehicles heading towards South Mumbai and shut the road near Metro Cinema as protesters spilled beyond the permitted gathering area at Azad Maidan.
The protest was organised to press for dividing the 13 per cent Scheduled Caste reservation into four categories — A, B, C and D. The demand has remained pending, prompting members of the Matang community to organise a large-scale mobilisation in Mumbai, according to the report.
A police official said repeated announcements were being made asking protesters to move towards the designated protest site. “Constant announcements have been made, and we are requesting the people to gather at the protest site,” the official said.
Traffic moving towards South Mumbai was diverted from the CP office area. “We are monitoring the situation. The traffic has been diverted from the CP office, and the only road near Metro Cinema has been shut,” another police official said.
The mobilisation was expected to draw around five lakh Sakal Matang Samaj members from across Maharashtra to the city. The scale of the gathering placed pressure on roads around CSMT, one of Mumbai’s busiest railway and administrative zones, where traffic movement is closely connected to access routes serving South Mumbai.
Police said protesters had indicated that they would not leave Mumbai until the state government issued a Government Resolution on their demand. Senior police officials were deployed at the protest sites to manage the gathering and regulate traffic.
Despite the road disruption, police said there was no law and order situation near CSMT and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation office. “Adequate police are present at the spot. We are monitoring the situation, and there is no law and order situation near CSMT and the BMC office,” the police said.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the protest, manage the crowds and regulate vehicle movement around the affected roads. The traffic restrictions will remain linked to the movement of protesters and the police response at the gathering sites.
