Mumbai Police have denied permission for Manoj Jarange Patil’s proposed march to Mumbai and an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, citing rules governing public protests, restrictions on fasting demonstrations and the risk of severe traffic disruption in South Mumbai.
Jarange has announced that he will leave Antarwali Sarati for Mumbai on September 15 and begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from September 19. The protest is linked to various demands of the Maratha community and the implementation of assurances previously given by the government.
According to the police communication cited in the report, the proposed agitation would violate the 2025 rules governing public meetings, protests and processions. The police said they were satisfied that the planned protest would breach the applicable provisions.
One ground cited by the police is Rule 11(d), which prohibits an indefinite hunger strike or an attempt at self-immolation during an agitation. The proposed protest is also scheduled to continue for an unspecified period, until the demands are accepted, rather than being confined to a fixed day.
The police said permission for an agitation is granted for only one day at a time, from 9 am to 6 pm. They also said permission is not granted on Saturdays, Sundays or government holidays. Since Jarange has sought to begin the hunger strike on Saturday, September 19, and continue it indefinitely, the request does not fit these conditions, according to the police explanation.
Traffic management is another reason cited for the denial. Police said the march and the expected gathering could disrupt road movement and public transport in Mumbai. The report refers to Jarange’s statement that the number of vehicles accompanying the mobilisation could run into lakhs.
The police also cited last year’s experience, when around 5,000 vehicles were allegedly parked unauthorised on major roads in South Mumbai during the agitation, resulting in a road blockade. The authority said a similar situation could arise this year and affect the city’s public transport system.
The permission denial follows a Bombay High Court decision reported two days earlier that Jarange could not be prevented from coming to Mumbai. Jarange has criticised the government over the police decision, alleging that it amounts to disrespecting the judiciary.
The immediate issue is now whether the proposed march and gathering will proceed despite the police denial, and how authorities will respond to the planned September 15 departure and the proposed September 19 hunger strike at Azad Maidan.
