Ban protests in south Mumbai's high-security zone, demands Sena MP Deora after quota stir chaos

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora. File pic

Following the five-day-long agitation by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, which disrupted normal life in south Mumbai, Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Milind Deora has demanded that protests be prohibited or relocated from the area's "high-security, high-functioning zones", reported news agency PTI.

Deora wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, stating that while the right to protest is an essential democratic freedom, it must be balanced with the rights of ordinary citizens to live and work without disruption.

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South Mumbai is not only the heart of the state's governance but also its political and economic nerve centre, the Rajya Sabha lawmaker stated.

He highlighted that South Mumbai houses the Maharashtra Government Secretariat (Mantralaya), the Vidhan Sabha, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, the head offices of Mumbai and Maharashtra Police, as well as the Western Naval Command.

South Mumbai also houses several financial institutions and hosts corporate headquarters and vital infrastructure on which millions of people rely daily, said Deora, who has earlier served as the Lok Sabha MP from the Mumbai South Constituency.

"I, therefore, urge the Government of Maharashtra to take necessary steps to prohibit or relocate such protests away from south Mumbai's high-security, high-functioning zones. This will ensure citizens' rights are protected, governance remains uninterrupted, and Mumbai continues to function as the undisputed financial and political capital of India and Maharashtra, respectively," he stated in his letter to the CM.

No capital city in the world permits its core institutions of governance, security, and economy to be repeatedly crippled by protests, asserted the former Union Minister.

While peaceful demonstrations are integral to democracy, their location and scale must not undermine the functioning of government, municipal administration, security forces, or the private sector, noted Deora, whose party is a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition.

The hunger strike led by Jarange from August 29 to September 2 at Azad Maidan brought thousands of quota protesters to South Mumbai from across Maharashtra.

While the activist remained on fast at the designated protest site, his supporters flooded the streets, occupied the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), played cricket on roads, and parked vehicles on key pathways - causing widespread disruption to daily life in South Mumbai and drawing criticism from several quarters, including traders' associations.

The chaos triggered by the agitation reached the Bombay High Court, where judges came down heavily on the agitators, observing that Mumbai had been brought to a standstill.

Normalcy resumed after Jarange ended his fast on September 2.

(With PTI inputs)