After Manoj Jarange Patil says Maratha quota protests called off, Bombay HC seeks response to pleas
The Bombay HC court said it will dispose of the pleas after perusing the affidavits, and indicated that it will not pass any adverse orders.
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Jarange Patil withdrew his agitation after the state government accepted six of eight demands, and issued a Government Resolution (GR) related to the same. (PTI Photo)Lawyers representing Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil and others, including organisers, Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that the reservation issue has been resolved after the intervention of the Maharashtra Government, following which the protest was called off and all agitators left Mumbai.
The High Court was hearing pleas against the protests held at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai from August 29 to September 2. The court asked the protesters and organisers to file affidavits within four weeks to show that they were not behind the damage caused to property, if any, and to deny such allegations.
On Tuesday evening, Jarange Patil withdrew his agitation after the state government accepted six of eight demands, and issued a Government Resolution (GR) related to the same.
After the bench of Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Aarti Sathe said there was large-scale damage to the property by the protesters, and who would pay for it, lawyers representing the organisers said that such allegations were based on old photographs and that no such damage was caused in recent protests.
“There has to be an affidavit indicating whatever has happened this time was not voluntary. Unless there is an affidavit, how can we dispose of the pleas? There has to be a statement made by respondents (Jarange Patil and other organisers) that they were not behind it. At least, this much should be on record. Otherwise, he would have been an instigator. There should be a denial on the affidavit,” ACJ Chandrashekhar remarked orally.
Appearing for protesters, Senior Advocate Satish Maneshinde also said that the Mumbai police have filed First Information Reports (FIRs) against some agitators, and that authorities will take care of the same. Maneshinde said Jarange Patil and others did not instigate protesters to cause any inconvenience.
The court said it will dispose of the pleas after perusing the affidavits, and indicated that it will not pass any adverse orders.
On Tuesday afternoon, the court had initially asked the protesters to immediately vacate Azad Maidan as the police issued a notice for the same, citing flouting of norms. However, later, the court accepted Jarange Patil’s request for a breather, as the solution was likely to be arrived at, and that he could engage in dialogue with the state government’s sub-committee.
The Bombay High Court also pulled up the state government over “lapses” in handling the agitation, and expressed displeasure over the conduct of the authorities. The court also questioned the protesters for violating the terms and conditions laid down while granting permission to protest at a designated site at Azad Maidan.
On Monday, the special bench of the High Court said normalcy in Mumbai had to be restored, and the city should not be brought to a standstill, more so during the Ganesh festival, since the Public Meetings, Agitations and Processions Rules, 2025, were in place.
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