Manoj Jarange to march to Mumbai on Sep 15 despite police denial
Mumbai, September 13: Despite not receiving police permission for the Maratha reservation movement in Mumbai, Maratha leader Manoj Jarange made it clear on Sunday that the movement will not stop under any circumstances.
He said that he will stop taking saline and water from Sunday and will leave for Mumbai from Jalna on September 15 as per the pre-scheduled schedule. Jarange said that he will reach Azad Maidan in Mumbai on September 19 and continue the protest and hunger strike there.
Jarange, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike in Jalna since August 29 demanding Maratha reservation, told reporters that the government is allegedly conspiring to stop his Mumbai movement. This is why the police are not granting permission for the protest this time. He said that last year his protest was granted permission during Ganeshotsav.
Jarange said that he will leave for Mumbai from Jalna as per the scheduled schedule. The government can open fire on them if it wants, but they will not back down. They demanded the government reconsider its decision and grant permission for the protest.
Maratha leader Virendra Pawar reached the Azad Maidan police station on Sunday and spoke with police officers regarding permission for Jarange’s protest. However, the police denied permission for the protest, citing several reasons.
According to the police, Ganeshotsav begins in Mumbai on September 14. A large police force will be deployed in the city during this period. Consequently, the arrival of thousands of protesters in Mumbai could pose a challenge to law and order and public safety.
The police cited the Supreme Court’s order in the Amit Sahni case, the Bombay High Court’s order, and the state government’s directives regarding the protest in denying permission.
Jarange’s application stated that approximately 4,000 to 4,500 protesters would arrive in Mumbai. The police stated that Azad Maidan lacks sufficient capacity to accommodate such a large number of people.
According to the police, during the 2024 Maratha agitation, approximately 5,000 protesters reached Mumbai. Traffic, school, business, and hospital services were disrupted at that time. Police fear that the large number of protesters arriving this time could also disrupt normalcy in the city. Furthermore, the police have taken seriously the call for a Mumbai bandh prior to the agitation. According to them, this could further challenge the law and order situation.
Jarange appealed to members of the Maratha community to come to Mumbai in large numbers and join the protest. He stated that the protest would be peaceful. However, he warned that if any Maratha youth were killed during the protest, he would call for a Maharashtra-wide bandh within ten minutes.
Jarange also appealed to those unable to reach Mumbai to join him on the approximately 150-kilometer route of the protest. He also urged Maratha women to reach Mumbai in large numbers and join the movement.
