The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra made a huge tactical blunder by permitting the seventh pass Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange Patil (43) to stage a protest at Azad Maidan on Friday because of which all hell broke loose in Mumbai badly inconveniencing millions of Mumbaikars on a rainy day.
The government well knew that street congestion in the metropolis would peak during the ongoing Ganesh festival and if thousands of people from the interiors of the state pour in that too when there are heavy rains, there will be massive chaos. And that is exactly what happened on Friday. It is learnt that the city police, already under severe strain because of the festivities, had advised the government to refuse permission, but the home department helmed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis went on the backfoot and ordered that permission be granted. His government had unanimously passed the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act in 2018, but it was promptly shot down by the Supreme Court for primarily breaching the 50 per cent cap on reservations. Following this Jarange Patil wants ten per cent of the quota reserved for OBCs and given to Marathas; a proposal vehemently opposed by the OBCs.
Historical Context of Maratha Agitations
Only on Tuesday, the Bombay high court had restrained Jarange Patil from holding any protest sans police permission. So the state government was under no compulsion to give permission. Apparently, the government developed cold feet and feared that there would be a serious law and order problem if permission was denied. It was a gross error of judgment for which lakhs of Mumbaikars paid a heavy price on a rain-swept Friday. There were massive traffic snarls all over the metropolis with people getting stuck on their cars and buses for hours together.
The interesting thing is that in January, 2024 too Jarange Patil and the legion of his supporters had threatened to storm Mumbai. But the city police put their feet firmly down and told him that there was no way in which he could enter the city and create mayhem. In tandem with the Navi Mumbai police, Mumbai cops warned the Maratha leader of severe consequences if he and his supporters dared to breach the elaborate security cordon. He got the message and returned to his home turf Antarwali Sarathy village in Jalna district with his ego badly bruised.
Impact on Daily Life
The government had set several conditions while permitting Jarange Patil to observe fast at Azad Maidan. Each of these conditions were violated by his supporters with impunity. One of the terms was that he would enter the city with only five thousand supporters. The actual number of people who turned up with saffron scarves was over 40,000, according to police estimates. They came in trucks, cars, SUVs and tempos fully packed with food and beverages of the right type indicating that they were here for a long haul. At several places on the Eastern Freeway and other roads the protestors blocked traffic. They virtually took over CST.
Even though the permission was only for a day, Jarange Patil, who is apparently backed from behind the scenes by two big time Maratha leaders who want Fadnavis unseated, declared that he would not vacate Azad Maidan unless his principal demand for carving out ten percent reservation from the OBCs' quota and giving it to Marathas is conceded. The government has extended the permission for one more day. But that is in no way going to placate the Maratha activist.
Addressing a massive gathering at Azad Maidan, he thundered "I would prefer to be shot rather than return empty handed this time."
