Court Raps Government, Orders Jarange to Vacate Azad Maidan Amid Maratha Reservation Stir

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu)- Supporters of Manoj Jarang, who are protesting for Maratha reservation, are being removed from Azad Maidan. Police have reached Azad Maidan in large numbers following the order of Bombay High Court. The court has given the police time till 3 pm on Tuesday evening for this.

Earlier, while hearing the case, a division bench of Chief Justice Chandrashekhar and Justice Aarti Sathe pulled up the Maharashtra government for not handling the situation. The court questioned the government for not removing about 5,000 vehicles of the protesters that caused the jam on the roads of Mumbai. The division bench said that the roads should be freed from the jam as soon as possible or else the court will take strict action. The court also directed the government to take all necessary steps to restore order in the city. Chief Justice Chandrashekhar said, 'We want normalcy. The state government should report on what action has been taken. It should also be told which vehicles are allowed and which are banned.' Seeking data on the number of vehicles of protesters and their drivers, the court asked the government, 'What action have you taken so far? Have you made any video… how many schools have been ordered to be closed? People are afraid to come out of their homes.'

The bench also expressed its anger over the alleged laxity of the authorities in controlling the unruly protesters on the streets of Mumbai. The bench said, "There is no space for vehicles on the roads. There is no space for the judges to move around in the court." The court told state government counsel Satish Maneshinde, "Today when we leave the court, we should not see any vehicle of the protesters."

Let us tell you that Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil has agitated several times demanding reservation for the Maratha community. Now he has again surrounded Mumbai with thousands of supporters. Jarange has started an indefinite fast from August 29 demanding reservation for the Maratha community from the OBC quota. He has announced that he will not leave Mumbai until the state government implements the reservation.