Overview

• Police granted a one-day window on August 29 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Azad Maidan with a cap of 5,000 participants and permission for only a handful of vehicles, even as Manoj Jarange vowed to fast until Maratha OBC demands are accepted.
• More than 1,500 Mumbai Police personnel were deployed at the venue, reinforced by companies of the CRPF, RAF, CISF and the Maharashtra Security Force, with senior officers inspecting arrangements.
• Turnout was reported to far exceed the cap, with police units expecting up to about 40,000 supporters, and groups crowding areas near CSMT and the Fort leading to severe congestion.
• Traffic police closed the Eastern Freeway and key South Mumbai corridors, issued diversions from midnight, and BEST reported routes from CSMT shut or disrupted as commuter delays mounted.
• The government reiterated willingness to talk within legal boundaries, as Jarange pressed for Maratha recognition as Kunbis to access OBC reservations and a 10% quota under new Public Meetings rules that limit protest size and hours.