Mumbai Police on Tuesday issued a notice to activist Manoj Jarange and his core team, asking them to vacate Azad Maidan immediately as his hunger strike over the Maratha quota demand entered its fifth day. The police said that while permission was granted for 5,000 protesters, more than 40,000 arrived from across Maharashtra which created chaos in south Mumbai. According to the notice, protesters blocked key roads in south Mumbai, parked more than 5,000 vehicles near Azad Maidan and cooked food, bathed, danced and played cricket in public areas. These activities, the police noted, violated the conditions originally set for the agitation. Earlier on Monday night, civic personnel had to clear piles of leftover food, trash and waste scattered outside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and connecting roads.
High Court intervenes, orders streets cleared
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Jarange's supporters to vacate and clean up all city streets by Tuesday noon, warning that Mumbai had been "literally paralysed" by the agitation. Following this, the Azad Maidan police issued the notice to the organisers under the name of Amaran Uposhan, the protest body from Jarange's native village in Jalna district, and eight of its core members. Police also denied the organisers' request to extend the protest, instructing them to vacate Azad Maidan without delay.
Jarange continues indefinite fast
43-year-old Jarange has been on an indefinite fast demanding the inclusion of Marathas in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Thousands of his supporters have reached Mumbai in buses and trucks to join the agitation. Although some protesters shifted their vehicles to designated parking areas, many trucks and buses remain parked around CSMT and nearby roads which caused traffic congestion. As per information, Jarange stopped drinking water on Monday but later sipped a little while addressing the media after the High Court's directive. Doctors from the state-run JJ Hospital have been monitoring his health regularly.
Govt blamed for delay in quota decision
Earlier on Monday, Jarange accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of deliberately delaying a resolution. He said, "It is so easy to take a decision (on providing quota to Marathas). The government has to just say it is implementing Hyderabad, Satara and other gazetteers and declare all Marathas in Marathwada as Kunbis. The distribution of such certificates can be done by district collectors and tehsildars."
Meanwhile, protesters turned the CSMT premises into a playground, playing kabaddi, kho kho and even wrestling. Garbage, food leftovers, wrappers and fruit peels were dumped across roads, medians and railway platforms, forcing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) personnel to carry out late-night cleaning with jet sprays and machines.
(With inputs from PTI)
