The Bombay High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange and his supporters for continuing their protest at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, calling the gathering of more than 50,000 people “completely illegal.” The court directed the protesters to vacate the ground by 3 p.m., warning that failure to comply would invite strict action.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Aarti Sathe said the agitation had paralysed normal life in the city and created fear among citizens.
“They are violators and hence have no right at all. They must leave immediately or we will take action. This is completely illegal. After 3 p.m., we will not allow anyone there at Azad Maidan,” the bench said.
The court also criticised the Maharashtra government for lapses in handling the situation. “This is a very serious situation. We are not satisfied with the state government, too. There seems to be some lapse on the part of the government as well,” the bench remarked. It emphasised that law and order could not be compromised and asked authorities to restore normalcy without delay.
Senior advocate Satish Maneshinde, representing Jarange, tendered an apology for the misbehaviour of some of the activist’s supporters on city streets. He assured the court that no further misconduct would occur and said Jarange had strived to ensure that the public was not inconvenienced.
The court pointed out that permission was granted for only 5,000 people to gather at Azad Maidan, yet more than 50,000 protesters had entered Mumbai.
“What steps did you take to ensure that more than 5,000 persons do not come? Once you found that more than 50,000 persons have swarmed the city, what steps did you take? Did you ask them to leave Mumbai?” the bench asked.
The judges also noted that on Monday, protesters had surrounded the High Court, obstructing judges from entering. “It cannot be that the High Court was under siege and a judge had to walk to court,” the bench said.
While Maneshinde informed the court that Jarange had filed a fresh application seeking permission to continue the protest at Azad Maidan, the bench made it clear that no one could occupy the ground illegally in anticipation of an order. “Ask them to vacate by 3 p.m. or else we will take all steps as per law. We will impose exemplary costs or initiate contempt action. We want complete normalcy by 3 p.m., or else we will go out on the streets ourselves,” the court warned.
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Following the directive, Mumbai Police personnel, including DCP Zone 1 Pravin Munde, arrived at Azad Maidan to vacate the area. Earlier in the day, police issued notices denying permission for the agitation to continue, citing violations of conditions laid down by the court and authorities.
Jarange, who has been on a hunger strike since August 29, declared that he would not leave Azad Maidan even if it cost him his life. “Even if I die, I will not rise from this free ground. It will be costly for the government to evict us,” he warned, while urging Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to heed the growing public sentiment.
The activist said his protest remained peaceful and within the framework of the law. He added that his followers had removed vehicles from city streets after the court order, ensuring there was no traffic disruption in Mumbai. “We are protesting in a democratic way. We will not leave Mumbai unless our demands are implemented,” Jarange said.
The agitation, which has drawn tens of thousands of people from the Maratha community, is aimed at pressing demands for 10 per cent OBC reservation in government jobs and education.
The protests intensified after Jarange began his hunger strike, vowing not to consume water until his demands were met.
Authorities have been asked by the High Court to prevent further entry of protesters into Mumbai and to ensure compliance with its directives. The matter was posted for further hearing at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
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