Amid mounting pressure from the Bombay High Court over the Maratha quota agitation that crippled Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swiftly launched a clean-up operation at Azad Maidan, where activist Manoj Jarange has been staging an indefinite hunger strike.
His demands essentially included recognising Marathas as Kunbi, an agrarian caste in the Other Backward Classes category. Doing so will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education. He told a section of the media that the government possesses records to suggest that Kunbis and Marathas belong to the same caste
The civic body, in a statement, said, “Deep cleaning of roads outside Azad Maidan done.” Officials confirmed that the Solid Waste Management Department deployed a skid steer loader (Bobcat), two mini compactors, and one large compactor for the task. BMC workers also assisted in the mechanical operation, and the civic body assured continued efforts to reopen the area to the public.
Mumbai still hadn’t returned to full normalcy on Tuesday. Traffic outside Azad Maidan remained restricted. Protesters clogged already jammed roads. While a section of Jarange’s supporters began packing up to leave, others held their ground. Some were even seen dancing on the streets early in the morning.
The tone of the protests, Jarange desired, should be peaceful. “Even if I die, Marathas should stay calm,” he was quoted as saying.
According to the latest reports, police issued notices to Jarange and his committee. They were directed to vacate Azad Maidan and clear the streets today itself.
The notices, reports added, cited multiple violations of pre-agitation conditions, including obstructing roads with vehicles and crowd spillover. Authorities said the decision followed public statements made by Jarange and visible breaches of terms laid out under court guidelines.
Despite being visibly weakened after days without food or water, Jarange remained resolute in his demand for the inclusion of the Maratha community in the OBC category to avail of the reservation benefits.
He stopped drinking water yesterday, reaffirming his pledge that he would not budge till the government fulfils his demand for a 10 percent quota to the Maratha community under the OBC category.
His hunger strike, which began on August 29, entered its fifth day on Tuesday. “Follow the high court’s orders. Don’t trouble Mumbaikars. Don’t roam on streets, park vehicles in designated areas. Those who don’t want to listen to me can return to their villages,” he told his supporters. He added that he would not leave Mumbai until the community was granted reservation.
Earlier, the Bombay High Court delivered a scathing critique of the agitation. The bench observed that the protest had “literally paralysed” Mumbai and noted that demonstrators had not confined themselves to the designated protest site at Azad Maidan. Instead, they had occupied key city locations including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Churchgate railway station, and Marine Drive. “The situation is grim and the city of Mumbai has been practically brought to a standstill,” the court said.
The court provided Jarange and his followers what it described as an “opportunity” to restore normalcy by vacating the streets.
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