Explained: Why did Mumbai traffic come to a standstill Monday?

From 9.30 am, several places in south Mumbai started witnessing major snarls. The entire stretch from Worli Milk Dairy to Babulnath Temple, the full northbound stretch of Marine Drive, and the entire stretch of Teen Batti-Walkeshwar remained congested for over two hours. Around 12.40 pm, the protesters were removed from the roads and the traffic police gradually restored vehicular movement.

Why were Congress workers protesting?

The Congress members took out a morcha to protest against the BJP, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had insulted Maharashtra by blaming the state government for the migrant crisis during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Did the Congress have prior police permission to protest?

No. The Congress did not obtain prior police permission to organise the protest.

What rules govern the organisation of protests in Mumbai?

In 1997, the Bombay High Court directed that all protests should be confined to Azad Maidan. If no prior police permission is sought by the agitating group, then depending on the nature of the protest, the Mumbai police can take action against the agitators. If a group is protesting at a location other than the Azad Maidan, the police can take preventive action under the Maharashtra Police Act. 

Who gives permission and typically how long does it take to obtain permission?

The local police station usually gives permission for agitations and the whole process takes at least a week to complete. If a protest march covers a region that falls under the jurisdiction of two police stations, then the protesters have to seek permission from the Assistant Commissioner of Police.

“Protesters usually prefer to apply for permission at the Mumbai Police headquarters after which the higher authorities there make necessary inquiries on the route and if there is a possibility that a certain route may create a law-and-order problem, then along with the permission, we recommend changes,” said a senior police officer.

How did the police react on Monday?

On Monday, the Mumbai police took too long to get the protesters off the streets, leading to the massive traffic jam. A police document related to the protest, accessed by The Indian Express, shows that the police, as per information received from the Congress, were expecting the workers to start the protest at 11 am and not 9 am. Further, they were told that the crowd of protesters will not exceed 150 to 200. The police took a long time to disperse the crowd.

When was the last time the city witnessed a major traffic jam? 

A major traffic jam was last witnessed in March 2018 when 30,000 farmers walked to Mumbai’s Azad Maidan to protest against the policy on farm loan waivers.

Monday was also the second consecutive day on which parts of Mumbai got choked by traffic. Residents travelling on the Western Express Highway on Sunday found themselves stuck for well over an hour after parts of the stretch were blocked as the convoy of President Ram Nath Kovind was moving from Raj Bhavan to the Mumbai airport. The President was in the city on a four-day visit.

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