Mumbai: Mumbaikars bore the brunt of the Maratha quota agitation for the fourth straight day on Monday. While road and rail traffic was disrupted on the first day of the workweek, an offence of theft was registered by MRA Marg police after people appearing to be Maratha quota supporters were seen stealing a T-shirt from a store in Fort. It also emerged on Monday that a BEST bus had been vandalised and a commuter assaulted by quota activists in Juhu on Sunday evening.The theft case was registered close to the centre of protest at Azad Maidan. Police said the store owner alleged the accused wearing an orange ‘gamchha’ (stole) like the ones worn by Manoj Jarange’s supporters entered the shop. Two paid for their purchases but the third simply stuffed a tee inside his shirt and left. The offence has been registered against unknown persons, and cops are scanning CCTV footage to identify the thief.The vandalising of the BEST bus occurred at 7.15 pm on Sunday, when a bus was stationed inside Juhu terminus. Eyewitnesses said an argument broke out between protesters and commuters inside the bus when the driver and conductor were not present. Agitators allegedly dragged down a passenger, beat him up, and smashed the glass. Depot staff rushed to pacify them, but they continued to argue. By the time cops arrived, the agitators and commuters were gone. On Monday, protesters tried to force their way into the Cricket Club of India premises in Churchgate, prompting the club to close gates. Bombay Gymkhana barred entry too. Security personnel at RBI and BSE held off protesters. Some protesters reached near the BSE gates but on being explained, they dispersed.Streets around Azad Maidan were closed to traffic and many offices announced work from home as Marathas stormed roads, playing kabaddi and kho kho, dancing, bathing and eating in the office district. They climbed traffic signals and sat on the steps of Pherozeshah Mehta’s statue at BMC HQ. They entered Jehangir Art Gallery to squat or sleep. Traffic was disrupted on Marine Drive, P D’Mello Road, Crawford market, Haji Ali and near HC. The protestors held a rasta roko at Metro Cinema even as CSMT junction was blocked for vehicles for the fourth consecutive day.Citizens faced difficulty reaching offices and hospitals. “My wife had to fetch medicine for my 90-year-old grandmother from Bombay Hospital. A mob blocked their car and began to dance, asking them asked to turn back.” Protesters entered first class coaches and women’s compartments on local trains. At Chembur, they tried to forcibly shut train doors to block entry for commuters. Others kept banging grab handles and partitions. Around noon, Marathas stormed tracks at CSMT, halting services for 15 minutes. Some barged into the motorman’s cabin. RPF and GRP personnel struggled to keep them in check. A CSMT station official said, “Normal passengers need a platform ticket, but we don’t have orders to stop these people.”CSMT statio n turned into a protest camp. Groups spread meals, slept and played cards. Piles of leftover food added to the stench, while corners turned into makeshift washbasins, with agitators spitting paan, gargling and washing up. Navi Mumbai motorists were stuck in jams along Sion-Panvel highway. Mathadi loaders of APMC wholesale market in Vashi plan to strike work on Wednesday in solidarity with the quot agitation. But traders are not supporting the move.
