Mumbai ‘paralysed’ as Maratha quota stir enters day 5, cops ask protestors to vacate | Key developments | Latest News India

Noting that Mumbai was “literally paralysed” due to Maratha agitation, the court, in a special hearing, ordered all roads to be cleared and cleaned by Tuesday noon, stating violations in the conditions.

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The high court also asked the Mumbai police to act and ensure that no more protesters enter the city.

Soon after the court’s intervention, Mumbai police issued a notice to Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange, asking him to vacate Azad Maidan.

Here are the top 10 key developments as Mumbai faces its fifth day of disruption due to the Maratha quota protest:

• Activist Manoj Jarange’s hunger strike over the demand for the Maratha quota entered its fifth day on Tuesday.
• The Bombay High Court asked his supporters to vacate all streets in the city by noon and restore normalcy.
• Describing the situation as grim, the court on Monday observed that all pre-agitation conditions had been violated and asked protesters to stay within the confines of the designated area for the stir.
• The court said it expects the Maharashtra government to follow the due procedure laid down in law by initiating appropriate steps.
• The government shall also ensure no more protesters enter the city henceforth, the court said.
• Mumbai police issued a notice to Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange on Tuesday, asking him to vacate Azad Maidan.
• Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal warned of massive protests by members of the OBC communities if any attempt is made to disturb their existing reservation to accommodate Marathas.
• Meanwhile, as the protest continues, Jarange’s supporters turned the nearby CSMT station premises into a sporting arena, playing kabaddi, kho kho, and even wrestling with each other, PTI reported.
• Some protesters jumped on dead end of the Harbour Line tracks on Monday afternoon, but they were quickly persuaded by the railway police to move out, an official said.
• The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it has deployed around 1,000 sanitation workers to maintain cleanliness at Azad Maidan and surrounding areas, where a large number of protesters have gathered.

Maratha quota protest

Activist Manoj Jarange has been staging an indefinite hunger strike over his demand for a 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Thousands of people from the community have arrived in Mumbai to support his stir.

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Jarange’s hunger strike at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai over the demand for Maratha quota entered the fifth day on Tuesday.

Hundreds of Maratha community members seeking quota gathered at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and other areas in south Mumbai, causing traffic congestion and inconvenience to commuters.