The Bombay High Court on Monday came down heavily on Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil and his supporters for paralysing traffic across Mumbai during their ongoing quota agitation, directing them to vacate all roads by Tuesday.
Jarange, who has been pressing for a 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community, has vowed not to leave Mumbai until his demand is met. The protest, which entered its fourth day on Monday, brought traffic to a standstill in several parts of the city as thousands of demonstrators thronged south Mumbai.
The agitation crippled key routes around Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Fort, Churchgate and Mantralaya. Vehicular movement was completely halted on Dr DN Road from CSMT to Crawford Market, with only diversions via JJ Bridge available.
Mahapalika Marg near Dhobi Talao Metro Junction was also shut in both directions, affecting access to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, Esplanade Court and the CSMT subway.
Traffic was restricted to a single lane between Metro Junction and Bombay Gymkhana towards Fashion Street and the VSNL building, leading to massive congestion.
Additional closures included Hazarimal Somlani Marg from VSNL Junction to CSMT, the road leading to Flora Fountain, and surrounding lanes near the Bombay High Court.
Protesters also blocked Marine Drive, the Air India Building to Mantralaya stretch, and all roads leading to the Vidhan Bhavan. By Sunday evening, gridlock at the CSMT junction extended to adjoining arteries, while the closure of the Eastern Freeway forced commuters onto overcrowded alternate routes.
Taking note of the disruption, the High Court directed Jarange and his supporters to restore normalcy, ruling that no more than 5,000 protesters can remain at Azad Maidan, with everyone else required to leave by noon Tuesday.
The court scheduled a further hearing at 3 p.m. Tuesday to assess compliance.
Also Read : Manoj Jarange Patil's quota protest brings Mumbai traffic to halt
The Maratha quota stir, which began on August 27, has intensified since August 29 when Jarange launched an indefinite fast demanding that Marathas be recognised as Kunbis and granted reservation under the Other Backward Classes category.
He maintains that government records already identify 5.8 million Marathas as Kunbis and has vowed to continue the agitation until a 10 per cent quota is implemented.
On Sunday, Jarange escalated his protest by announcing he would stop taking water, accusing the government of delaying action. Police estimate that more than 45,000 agitators reached Mumbai on Friday alone, many arriving in convoys of nearly 8,000 vehicles.
With Azad Maidan unable to hold the swelling numbers, saffron-scarved protesters spilled onto adjoining roads, turning south Mumbai into a sprawling sit-in site.
The agitation has triggered sharp political exchanges. Jarange rejected the government’s appointment of retired judge Sandeep Shinde to lead talks, insisting that only a formal resolution would suffice.
While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s cabinet explores legal options, opposition leaders have blamed successive governments for failing to resolve the decades-old demand.
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has deployed sanitation workers, water tankers, mobile toilets and medical teams to manage the protest site.
With traffic chaos deepening and negotiations stalled, Jarange has described the agitation as the Maratha community’s “final fight” for reservation rights.
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