Officials said the protesters had violated conditions laid down by the police in line with Bombay High Court guidelines, prompting Azad Maidan police to serve the notice to Jarange and his core team
Jarange has been demanding the inclusion of the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category to avail reservation benefits in jobs and education. Representational Pic
Mumbai Police on Tuesday issued a notice to activist Manoj Jarange and his team, directing them to vacate Azad Maidan, where he has been on an indefinite hunger strike over the Maratha quota demand.
Officials said the protesters had violated conditions laid down by the police in line with Bombay High Court guidelines, prompting Azad Maidan police to serve the notice to Jarange and his core team, according to PTI.
Jarange’s hunger strike, which began on Friday, entered its fifth day on September 2. The Bombay High Court, while hearing a PIL against the agitation, had noted that Mumbai was “literally paralysed” due to the stir. The court said the protest had violated all stipulated conditions and brought the city to a standstill.
On Monday, the court gave Jarange and his supporters until Tuesday noon to vacate all streets and restore normalcy, stressing that while citizens have the democratic right to protest, public life cannot be brought to a halt.
Jarange has been demanding the inclusion of the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category to avail reservation benefits in jobs and education.
Mumbai police block 300 protest vehicles at city entry
The Mumbai police and traffic department have decided not to allow vehicles carrying Maratha community protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, into the city. On Sunday, more than 300 vehicles, including cars and trucks, were stopped at Mumbai’s entry points. Entry lanes were restricted to a single lane to ease congestion.
Since Friday, Mumbai — especially South Mumbai — has faced severe traffic issues due to the large influx of protesters’ vehicles. The Eastern Freeway was jammed for several hours, but on Monday, traffic eased after police enforced strict entry restrictions.
At the Vashi flyover, over 300 personnel from the Mumbai police, traffic police, BMC, and SRPF worked in double shifts. To regulate traffic, police placed heavy trucks on the road, narrowing the six-lane stretch to a single lane.
Despite this, heavy congestion was reported at the Vashi toll naka and on the stretch towards Mankhurd on Monday. Commuters complained of being stuck for over an hour. Police at the toll naka were checking every vehicle carrying protesters, recording details in registers, verifying licences, and sending back those without valid documents.
(With PTI inputs)
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