The Maratha quota stir has ended, but the Bombay High Court seeks Manoj Jarange’s response on petitions, questioning who will pay for the large-scale damages caused during the protest.
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MUMBAI: The Maratha quota stir led by activist Manoj Jarange, which had drawn widespread attention, was officially called off on Tuesday evening following successful negotiations with the Maharashtra government. On Wednesday, Jarange informed the Bombay High Court about the resolution of issues with the state. However, the court directed him to submit an affidavit addressing allegations raised in petitions against the five-day protest at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan.
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Aarti Sathe noted that the agitation had allegedly caused large-scale damage to public property. The court questioned,
“There are some issues. Large-scale damages were caused to public property. Who will pay for that?”
Senior advocates Satish Maneshinde and V M Thorat, representing Jarange and the organisations behind the protest, countered these allegations. They argued that no such damage had occurred apart from public inconvenience.
Despite this, the bench emphasized that affidavits must be filed to categorically deny any involvement in instigating the alleged incidents. The court made it clear that unless Jarange and his supporters explicitly distanced themselves from these allegations, they would be deemed responsible.
Court’s Direction
The Bombay High Court granted Jarange and his supporters four weeks to file their affidavits. The bench also assured that once the affidavits were filed, no adverse orders would be passed and the petitions would be disposed of accordingly.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the court had directed Jarange and his supporters to immediately vacate Azad Maidan, terming the protest illegal and unauthorized. However, considering that negotiations with the government were ongoing, the court allowed them to stay until Wednesday morning.
ALSO READ: ‘Mumbai At Standstill’: Bombay High Court Slams Manoj Jarange Over Maratha Quota Protest
Jarange, who had been on a hunger strike since August 29, announced the end of the agitation on Tuesday evening after the state government accepted most of his demands. An agreement was the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Maratha community members, granting them access to reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Following this development, Jarange and his supporters vacated Azad Maidan after the state issued a government resolution. The resolution established a committee tasked with scrutinizing historical records and granting Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas.
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