MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police have formally rejected a fresh application submitted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s associates seeking permission to continue their indefinite agitation at Azad Maidan, citing repeated violations of rules and interim directions of the Bombay High Court.The Mumbai Police on Tuesday issued a notice to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil directing him to vacate the Azad Maidan grounds where he and his supporters have been staging a protest for the past four days. Police officials said the notice also seeks an explanation from Jarange over multiple violations allegedly committed by his supporters during the agitation. These include traffic disruptions, damage to public property, and unauthorized activities within the protest site.In a notice addressed to core committee members of Jarange and his supporters police stated not to agitate at Azad Maidan without proper permission and to restrict such protests to Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. Despite this, Jarange and his supporters launched a hunger strike at Azad Maidan on August 29 with nearly 40,000 protestors and around 11,000 vehicles entering South Mumbai, leading to massive congestion. Over 5,000 vehicles were allegedly parked illegally around the High Court, Mantralaya, railway stations and key arterial roads, disrupting access to hospitals, courts and government offices.The notice states that the protest continued beyond the one-day permission granted for August 29 and that senior citizens were brought to the venue, one of whom threatened suicide. Police also referred to an attempted self-immolation by a protestor, the gathering of almost 40,000 people despite permission for only 5,000, the use of loudspeakers without approval, cooking, bathing and defecating in public areas, and road blockades at CSMT, Churchgate and other junctions. Authorities further pointed to provocative statements made by activists threatening to bring “5 crore Marathas” to Mumbai if their demands were not met.On Jarange’s protest at Azad Maidan, the High Court observed that it was for the state to decide the course of action. Since Jarange had prima facie violated the conditions of the permission granted by the state government and did not hold any valid permission to continue the protest at Azad Maidan, the court said the state should follow due procedure laid down in law for initiating appropriate steps.Citing serious disruption to public health, order and safety, the Mumbai Police declared the continuation of the agitation illegal, rejected the September 1 application for fresh permission, and directed the group to vacate Azad Maidan immediately.
