Mumbai police deny permission to Jarange Patil’s camp to continue protest, asks them to vacate Azad Maidan

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police on Tuesday denied permission to continue the Maratha quota agitation and ordered the protesters to vacate Azad Maidan premises, citing violation of the terms and conditions laid out by the Bombay High Court and the police to hold the protest.

Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s hunger strike at Azad Maidan entered its fifth day on Tuesday. A large number of his followers were present at the protest site. Authorities have asked Patil’s core committee to vacate Azad Maidan as soon as possible. This comes after the Bombay High Court on Monday issued directives asking protesters to vacate all streets in Mumbai by noon on Tuesday.

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s hunger strike at Azad Maidan enters the fifth day. Visuals from the spot as the activist and his supporters continue to remain here.

Mumbai Police say that the permission to hold a protest has been… pic.twitter.com/uDenkPyJkI

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On Monday, the Bombay High Court, in an urgent hearing on the ongoing agitation in Mumbai, said that they had given permission for the protest with certain conditions, which have been violated by the protesters. The protesters had brought the city to a standstill, and they have not followed their undertaking given to the court.

The court observed, “Since respondent have, prima facie, violated the conditions of the permission granted to them by the state government and since they do not have any valid permission to continue the protest on Azad Maidan, let the state government follow the due procedure laid down in law for initiating appropriate steps”.

“Since it is of imminent necessity that normalcy in the life of the common man needs to be restored and the city should not be brought to a standstill, and more so during the Ganpati Festival as well, and since 2025 Rules are in place, we direct respondent to ensure that the streets are cleaned up, vacated of the occupation by the protesters, which would include all such places which are being occupied until tomorrow by forenoon”, it added.

The High Court further ordered the state government to initiate appropriate steps to prevent the entry of more protesters into Mumbai from all entry points until further orders from this Court.

The order said, “Since there are further protesters who desire to enter the city, as is conveyed to us by the learned Advocate General on instructions and the contention of the learned Advocates for the Applicants that they would come in lakhs, we direct the State Government to initiate appropriate steps to prevent the entry of such protesters in Mumbai from all entry points, until further orders from this Court and or any order of the State Government under the 2025 Rules.”

The Bombay High Court also directed the Maharashtra government to ensure adequate medical assistance and treatment to activist Manoj Jarange Patil and all protesters.

“In addition, we permit medical assistance to all the protesters, as also water and the food packets which are being offered to them until tomorrow. We direct the State Government to ensure that if the health parameters of Mr. Jarange are of concern or his health deteriorates, the State Government would ensure that he is given adequate medical assistance and treatment”, the order stated.

Mumbai’s Azad Maidan has been witnessing thousands of people from the Maratha community protesting to press their demands for 10 per cent OBC reservation in government jobs and colleges. The Marathas have been calling for reservation for years. The protests intensified after Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil went on a hunger strike recently and vowed not to drink water until his demands were met.

Patil remains adamant that he won’t budge from the protest site until his demands are met. The financial capital had witnessed significant disruptions in relation to traffic movement, especially in the south Mumbai area near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) station, which is right in front of the entry to Azad Maidan.

The agitation has also mounted pressure on the Mahayuti government, which has formed a 10-member ministerial committee led by Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil to hold talks with stakeholders. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and its leaders have extended solidarity to the Maratha agitation. However, the BJP-led Maharashtra government has accused them of “politicising” the matter. (ANI)