Tens of thousands of protesters demanding reservations for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in the Indian state of Maharashtra are currently en route to Mumbai and will reach the country’s financial capital, on Thursday (Jan 25) amid Republic Day celebrations.

Maratha quota march: Thousands of protesters to reach Mumbai on January 26; section 144 imposed

Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will start from March 17 the final hearing on the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a Maharashtra law, which grants reservation to the Maratha community in education and jobs.

Supreme Court to start final hearing on pleas challenging Maratha reservation

The Bombay High Court is likely to take up for hearing a bunch of petitions on the issue of Maratha reservation in Maharashtra on Wednesday. Several petitions were filed in 2014 and 2015 after the then Congress-NCP government granted 16 per cent quota in government jobs and education to the Maratha community.

Maratha quota: Bombay HC likely to hear petitions on Wednesday