The Bombay High Court took strict action against activist Manoj Jarange Patil and his supporters over the Maratha reservation protest at Azad Maidan, which brought Mumbai traffic to a standstill on Monday.
The court directed the protesters to vacate the area by noon tomorrow and stipulated that no more than 5,000 people could remain there. The state government stated that the Devendra Fadnavis administration would ensure the court’s orders are enforced.
When the lawyers representing Jarange and the other protesters requested permission to hold their demonstrations at either Brabourne or Wankhede Stadium, the court rejected the plea, stating that the agitation could not be permitted at these iconic sporting venues.
“The situation is grim and the city of Mumbai has been practically brought to a standstill,” the court noted.
Jarange has been demanding a 10 per cent quota and stated that he would not leave Mumbai until his demand is met. On Monday, several roads across the city experienced severe traffic congestion. In response, the court ordered Jarange and his supporters to clear all roads by tomorrow.
“We are giving Jarange and his supporters an opportunity to rectify the situation immediately and ensure the streets are vacated and cleaned up by Tuesday noon,” the bench of Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Gautam Ankhad observed, taking note of the prevailing circumstances.
The bench observed that Jarange and his followers have “disobeyed” court order. “They have also prima facie violated the conditions of permissions granted to them, and they do not have any valid permission to continue the protest. We would expect the state government to follow the law and initiate steps”.
During the hearing, the state government’s counsel, Advocate General Dr Birendra Saraf, pointed out that the protesters had flaunted every rule and while they were given permission to protest for one day, they had overstayed and were refusing to budge.
Saraf denied that the police had given any extension to the protestors to go on with the agitation at the Azad maidan.
The court asked Saraf multiple times as to what the state was doing to ensure that Mumbaikars were not disturbed due to the agitation. Saraf submitted that there have been serious threats being given by the protestors and that “there can be a reaction,” if any harsh measures are undertaken by police to remove the protestors.
Saraf submitted that the policemen on duty in Mumbai are already stretched as they have to ensure safety of people during Ganpati festivity and also have been requesting the protestors to move off the road to ensure that normalcy is restored on Mumbai streets.
We have video to show that the police officers are pleading with the protestors. They even handed over notices to Jarange and the protest organiser telling them what all rules of protest have been flouted. They saw the paper and returned it back,” submitted Saraf.
Saraf and some of petitioners’ lawyers Surel Shah, Nilesh Tribhuvann and Gunratan Sadavarte pointed to videos and photos of unruly mob of protestors bathing on Marine Drive, playing Kabaddi and cricket outside CSMT, disturbing traffic lights and dancing in the middle of road and cooking and answering nature’s call on footpath, to show how the protestors are holding up the city.
However, advocates Ashish Raje Gaikwad, representing Jarange, and Ramesh Dubeypatil, Shriram Pingle, and Rajesh Tekale, representing other protesters, submitted that they would try to prevail upon the other petitioners to listen. It was submitted by them that the state had extended and accepted their request for extension.
The protesters’ counsel also requested that protests be allowed at either the Brabourne or the Wankhede stadium and that they would then vacate the streets.
Upon hearing this, the bench said, “Wankhede and Brabourne are iconic sports grounds for Mumbai city. They have a history and none of your own accomplices are following you. They will sit and live there. They will destroy the ground”.
The court will conduct a follow-up hearing tomorrow at 3 pm to determine whether its orders have been complied with.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that his government would ensure the court’s directives are fully enforced.
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