On Wednesday, January 24, the Bombay High Court rejected the plea to restrict Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange and his supporters from entering Mumbai. Instead, the court instructed the Maharashtra government to ensure that the city's roads were not congested. The division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Shyam Chandak emphasized that the state government has the authority to take necessary measures to maintain law and order and prevent blockage of city roads, as reported by news agency PTI.
Manoj Jarange initiated a march to Mumbai from his village, Antarwali Sarati, in Jalna district on January 20. Thousands of supporters joined him along the way to advocate for Maratha community reservation in government jobs and education. The court stated, "The State will take all necessary measures to prevent blockage of public ways which will cause inconvenience and will try to designate a public place, at an appropriate location, before the agitators to assemble and have their peaceful agitation."
This decision stemmed from a petition filed by Gunratan Sadavarte, who had previously contested the Maharashtra government's stance on the Maratha quota. Sadavarte sought a High Court order restraining Jarange's entry into the city, citing potential law and order issues. The bench issued a notice to Jarange and scheduled the next hearing for February 14. Advocate General Birendra Saraf and public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, representing the government, suggested that the court could halt the activist's march if deemed necessary.
Who Is Manoj Jarange-Patil?
Saraf acknowledged that the state cannot prevent people from protesting but emphasized that it should not be conducted in a manner suggested by Jarange, intending to bring large groups of people to Mumbai using bullock carts and tractors. The bench referred to a Supreme Court order related to protests at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, emphasizing that such occupation of public ways is unacceptable. Justice Gadkari stated, "State can take appropriate measures to ensure roads are not blocked. Respondent 9 (Jarange) is not before us, so we cannot pass an order against him," as reported by PTI.
Saraf assured the court that the government would take lawful steps to prevent a law and order situation. He expressed concerns about the large number of people marching to Mumbai and clarified that the government had not received a formal application from the protesters to gather at Azad Maidan. Saraf suggested providing an alternative location outside Mumbai for the protestors to hold their demonstration, citing potential difficulties in managing the situation with a large gathering in the city. Jarange has announced that the protesters will be situated at Azad Maidan until their demands are met by the government.