By | Arvind Jadhav
Mumbai: After days of tension between Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil and the state administration, Mumbai Police have finally granted permission for his much-anticipated protest at Azad Maidan on August 29. The decision came amid political pressure, legal interventions, and growing public interest in the ongoing reservation issue.
The permission, however, comes with strict conditions. Police have restricted the protest to just one day and have allowed a maximum of 5,000 participants. Entry has been limited to five vehicles plus Jarange’s own vehicle, and no marches or processions will be permitted. The use of loudspeakers or any noise-making devices will require separate permission. Police have also clarified that the protest cannot be held on weekends or public holidays and must conclude within the allotted time, with authorities insisting on strict compliance to maintain public order during the busy Ganesh Chaturthi season.
The decision followed a ruling from the Bombay High Court a day earlier, which stated that no protest could be conducted at Azad Maidan without explicit police permission. The court, citing the newly introduced Public Meetings, Agitations & Processions Rules, 2025, stressed that public spaces cannot be occupied indefinitely and that demonstrations must be confined to designated venues to balance the right to protest with civic responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the state government has stepped up its political outreach to prevent the situation from escalating. In a key move, the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Maratha Reservation was restructured, with Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil appointed as chairman — a decision widely seen as an attempt to open a communication channel with Jarange, given his influential role in the movement. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and senior coalition leaders had earlier appealed to Jarange to postpone the agitation due to the festival season, but he had firmly rejected the request, insisting that the Maratha community had already waited too long for a permanent solution on the OBC quota demand.
Reacting to the permission, Jarange told reporters that he would respect all laws and follow the authorities’ conditions, but maintained that the protest would remain indefinite until the government accepted their demands. “We respect the law and will follow all conditions, but our fight for reservation will continue until our demands are fully met. We cannot agree to a one-day limit. Our agitation will remain indefinite,” he said.
With permission now in place and conditions set, all eyes are on August 29, when Jarange and his supporters are expected to gather at Azad Maidan in what could become the most significant phase of the Maratha quota agitation so far.
