Bombay High Court refuses to block Manoj Jarange Patil’s Mumbai protest

The Bombay High Court has declined to issue immediate pre-emptive orders to stop Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil and his supporters from entering Mumbai for an indefinite protest. A division bench, led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi, noted that in a democracy, the ‘right to agitate is a fundamental right’ and questioned the basis for seeking prohibitory orders based solely on apprehensions of future disruption.

The court has issued notices to both Jarange Patil and the Maharashtra state government to seek their responses regarding the planned ‘March to Mumbai’. While the court addressed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning potential traffic disruptions and public inconvenience in South Mumbai, it emphasized that procedural fairness requires hearing the activist’s stance before implementing restrictive directives.

Additionally, the court directed the state administration to clarify its strategy for maintaining law and order and public safety. Given Jarange Patil’s recent hunger strike and deteriorating health, the bench emphasized that the state government must ensure adequate medical assistance and emergency aid are available to the activist during the proceedings.