Mumbai Police personnel arrived at Azad Maidan on Tuesday to vacate the protest site following directives from the Bombay High Court to stop the ongoing Maratha agitation. Senior officials, including DCP Zone 1 Pravin Munde, reached the ground to enforce the order amid heavy deployment of security forces.
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who has been on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan for the past five days, refused to vacate the site. Surrounded by his supporters, Jarange warned that any attempt to forcefully evict protesters would “prove costly” for the government. He reiterated his demand for implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette, which would guarantee reservation benefits for the Maratha community.
Earlier in the day, Mumbai Police issued notices to Jarange’s core committee, denying further permission to continue the agitation. Authorities cited violations of the conditions under which the protest had been allowed. The High Court, in its urgent hearing on Monday, had expressed concern over the disruption caused in Mumbai and directed that all roads be cleared by Tuesday noon.
In a defiant speech, Jarange told his followers, “Even if I die, I will not rise from this free ground. We have been protesting peacefully for two years. The government cannot withstand the public outcry that is coming.” He further insisted that vehicles had already been cleared from the streets to ensure no traffic disruption, asserting that the agitation remained within the law.
Thousands of Maratha community members have gathered at Azad Maidan in support of Jarange’s hunger strike, pressing for 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and education. The atmosphere remains tense, with protesters chanting slogans and vowing not to leave Mumbai until their demands are met.
As the standoff continues, the Maharashtra government faces mounting pressure to balance the High Court’s directives with the sentiments of the Maratha community, which has warned of escalating the agitation if their demands remain unaddressed.
