September 1, Monday: Bombay High Court has directed all the roads in Mumbai to be cleared by Tuesday noon, September 2, after noting that the current Maratha quota agitation organized by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has become disruptive and breached the terms under which it was permitted.
Court slams protest disruptions, orders roads to be cleared by Tuesday noon
The court declared that the agitation was "not peaceful and had breached all conditions," while ordering Jarange-Patil and his supporters to vacate the city forthwith. "We are providing an opportunity to Jarange and his supporters to correct the situation at once and have the roads vacated and cleared by Tuesday noon," said the bench, terming the overall situation "grim," news agency PTI reported.
The judges pointed out how even the judiciary's functioning had been hindered. "We can see how peaceful the protest is. The high court building is surrounded. The gates for the judges and lawyers are blocked. The vehicles of high court judges were stopped today and not allowed to enter the court. The whole city has been blocked," the bench noted.
The Times of India quoted that the protest saw almost 35,000–45,000 members, coming in over 650 vehicles, much more than the allowed 5,000 at Azad Maidan. Rather than staying on at the specified location, protesters occupied South Mumbai points like CSMT, Marine Drive, and Churchgate, causing traffic congestion and immobilizing daily traffic. India Today stated that commuters and local traders have taken a severe hit as numbers continue to swell.
Against growing pressure, Maharashtra cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation chief Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who is the water resources minister, asked for restraint. "No one is taking away their right to protest, but it has to be at Azad Maidan, not at the railway station. They must also remember that such unsuitable means of protest are besmirching the community at large," he pleaded.
With the Ganesh festival around the corner and Mumbai’s lifelines under strain, the High Court stressed that the right to protest cannot override the rights of citizens. If the deadline is not met, the state has been directed to act under the Public Protest and Agitation Rules, 2025, to restore order.
