Vacate Azad Maidan as soon as possible: Mumbai Police notice to Jarange-Patil

Mumbai: Mumbai Police on Tuesday served a notice to pro-Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil to vacate Azad Maidan as soon as possible, saying that due to repeated violations by his supporters, the protest permission cannot be continued.

The police move comes a day after the Bombay High Court order asking the state government to maintain law and order during the protest.

Jarange-Patil, who has launched an indefinite fast from August 29, demanding reservation for the Maratha community from the OBC quota, has declared that he won’t leave Mumbai until the state government implements the reservation.

The Mumbai Police, in its notice, said, “The terms and conditions laid down for the protest have been violated. Therefore, Azad Maidan should be vacated as soon as possible.” The police said that they have taken a serious note of statements made by Jarange-Patil to the print and electronic media.

However, the core committee of Jarange-Patil said that they have not yet received the police notice.

Further, the Mumbai Police referred to the observations made by the Bombay High Court during a hearing held on Monday on a petition saying that Jarange-Patil, Virendra Pawar and others should not hold any protest at Azad Maidan without obtaining permission from the competent authority under the “Public Meetings, Protests and Processions Rules, 2025”.

“If the respondent (in the litigation) wants to hold such a protest, they should submit an application under the “Public Meetings, Protests and Processions Rules, 2025”.

In order to prevent disruption of public life in Mumbai city, the government should consider providing alternative places in Navi Mumbai for their protest, said the notice quoting the high court order.

“If the competent authority grants permission to the respondent to hold a protest under the ‘Public Meetings, Protests and Processions Rules, 2025’, the respondent shall comply with all the terms and conditions laid down by the competent authority,” said the notice referring to the high court observations.

“And whereas, as per the application made by you thereafter, permission was granted to you to hold a one-day agitation for your demands at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, on 29/08/2025 between 09:00 AM and 18:00 PM vide letter No. 7608/2025 dated 27/08/2025 from this office. While granting the said permission, you were informed of the “Public Meetings, Protests and Processions (within the jurisdiction of Additional Commissioner of Police, South Zone, Mumbai) Rules, 2025” and the interim order dated 26/8/2025 of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in the above-mentioned case,” said the notice.

“Since you have violated the terms and conditions of the permission granted to you earlier to protest, and since you have violated the directions given by the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in its interim order dated 26/08/2025, the permission for the protest sought by you as per the application submitted by you on 01/09/2025 is hereby rejected. Accordingly, you are requested to vacate the Azad Maidan premises as soon as possible,” read the notice.

Earlier, the high court, which will continue hearing the petition, ordered authorities on Monday to clear all other roads in Mumbai of protesters by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, stating that the agitation should be held only at Azad Maidan and not elsewhere.

It also instructed authorities to stop other protesters who are coming to Mumbai and stop them at the borders. The high court further said permission was given to only 5,000 people, but more people gathered outside Azad Maidan to join the quota protest.

The high court has sought a response from the Maharashtra government on the steps taken to address the issue, as the matter will be heard at 3 p.m.

IANS