MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange to ensure that protesters, numbering over 5,000, vacate Mumbai’s public spaces by noon on Tuesday, following complaints of significant disruptions to city life. The court’s special bench, comprising Justices Ghuge and Gautam Ankhad, was responding to petitions claiming the protests violated citizens’ fundamental rights to free movement and livelihood. The bench emphasized that protests must be confined to designated areas with fresh permissions, allowing only peaceful demonstrations.
The court urged Jarange’s legal team to persuade him to comply, stating, “We trust Jarange and others will heed our directive to clear roads and public spaces, except for the designated site, by noon tomorrow.” The matter will be reviewed by the regular bench on Tuesday for further orders. The protests, now in their fourth day, have drawn an estimated 35,000 to 45,000 supporters, arriving in approximately 650 vehicles, causing severe traffic congestion in South Mumbai, particularly around Azad Maidan, Hutatma Chowk, and P D’Mello Road.
Petitions argued that the large gatherings had paralyzed Mumbai, with the government failing to uphold residents’ rights. The Advocate General noted that initial police permission allowed only 5,000 protesters for a single day, with conditions to vacate by 6 p.m. Allegations of political motives surfaced, with lawyer Gunratan Sadavarte, a petitioner, claiming the protests targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The court also ordered provisions like food packets, water, and medical aid for Jarange, who is on a hunger strike, and instructed that protesters be relocated to alternative venues after obtaining new permissions.
The High Court’s directive follows a prior ruling on August 26 by then-Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne, which barred Jarange from protesting at Azad Maidan without permission under the Public Meetings Rules. The ongoing agitation has disrupted daily life, prompting the court to prioritize restoring normalcy in Mumbai.
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