Mumbai, September 16, 2026: The Bombay High Court will on Thursday hear a plea seeking restraint on the proposed Maratha agitation in Mumbai, after the petitioner claimed that protesters have mobilised and are heading towards the city despite police denying permission for the demonstration.
Alternatively, the plea seeks to shift the proposed agitation from Azad Maidan to an alternative venue, preferably Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, with the petitioner citing concerns over traffic and public inconvenience during Ganeshotsav.
Plea Seeks Alternative Protest Venue
The plea was filed by Amy Foundation, which clarified that it was not opposed to the agitation led by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange or the demand for Kunbi certificates. It has instead sought directions against holding the protest at Azad Maidan.
The petition was mentioned on Wednesday before a bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna, which posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.
Advocate Mahendra Ratna, appearing for the Foundation, submitted that a large number of Maratha community members from across Maharashtra could participate in the agitation and that Azad Maidan may not have sufficient capacity to accommodate them.
Concerns Over Traffic Disruption
The Foundation also pointed out that Mumbai is currently witnessing Ganeshotsav and allowing a large-scale agitation at Azad Maidan could lead to restrictions on public roads and traffic, as happened during last year’s protest. This, it submitted, could cause considerable inconvenience to the general public.
The petitioner submitted that protesters have a right to hold an agitation but do not have a right to cause inconvenience to the public. It also argued that public roads and spaces cannot be occupied indefinitely for a protest.
Police Permission Allegedly Denied
The Foundation told the court that two applications seeking permission for the proposed agitation had already been rejected by the authorities. Despite this, protesters have mobilised and are proceeding towards Mumbai, it submitted. It also alleged that threats had been made to shut down the airport and other parts of the city.
Jarange, who had been on hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati for over 19 days, has already left for Mumbai and is expected to reach the city on Saturday.
HC Cites Last Year’s Agitation
Last year, while hearing the Foundation’s plea against the Maratha agitation at Azad Maidan, the High Court had stressed that the right to peaceful protest must be respected but public places and roads cannot be occupied indefinitely. The court had also directed that demonstrations be held only after obtaining permission from the competent authority.
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The court had subsequently observed that the 2025 agitation had brought parts of Mumbai to a standstill, with large crowds affecting areas around CSMT, Churchgate and Marine Drive, and stressed that normal public life could not be disrupted by protests.
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