Mumbai: The Bombay High Court was on Wednesday informed by activist Manoj Jarange that the Maratha quota agitation had been called off after the issue was resolved with the Maharashtra government.
Bench Directs Filing of Affidavits
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Aarti Sathe took note of the submission but directed Jarange to file an affidavit in response to various allegations made in petitions against the five-day protest held by him and his supporters in Mumbai.
Court Questions Responsibility for Damages
“There are some issues. Large-scale damages were caused to public property. Who will pay for that?” the bench asked.
Jarange’s Lawyers Deny Allegations
Advocates Satish Maneshinde and VM Thorat, appearing for Jarange and the organisations that led the agitation, maintained that no damage was caused apart from inconvenience to the public.
HC Warns of Presumed Instigation Without Denial
The bench, however, said Jarange and the organisations must file affidavits clarifying their stand. “The affidavits will have to say that they (Jarange and his team) were not the instigators. There has to be a statement that they were not behind this. There are some serious allegations in the petitions,” the court said.
Affidavit Timeline Granted
If such a denial is not placed on record, the bench added, Jarange and his supporters would otherwise be deemed instigators. Once the affidavits are filed, the court assured, no adverse order would be passed and the petitions would be disposed of. The activist and his team have been granted four weeks to file their affidavits.
Court Had Declared Protest Illegal
On Tuesday, the court had directed Jarange and his supporters to immediately vacate Azad Maidan, terming their protest illegal and without permission. The bench, however, permitted them to remain at the venue until Wednesday morning as discussions with the government were underway.
Government Accepts Key Demands
Jarange, who had begun a hunger strike at Azad Maidan on August 29, called off the agitation on Tuesday evening after the government accepted most of his demands. These included issuing Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas, enabling them to claim reservation benefits available to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
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Following the government’s issuance of a resolution to form a committee for granting Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas with historical proof of Kunbi heritage, Jarange and his supporters vacated Azad Maidan.
