Cleanup begins at Manoj Jarange's Maratha quota stir site after clear-out order

UPDATED: Sep 2, 2025 09:41 IST

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation swung into action after the Bombay High Court came down heavily on activist Manoj Jarange over the Maratha quota agitation that brought Mumbai to a standstill and ordered protestors to vacate streets by Tuesday noon.

Police also issued notices to Jarange and his core committee to clear out of the Azad Maidan protest site, citing violations of conditions laid down for the agitation.

Meanwhile, the BMC carried out a “deep cleaning” of the Azad Maidan area on Monday night. “Deep cleaning of roads outside Azad Maidan done,” the civic body said in a statement.

Jarange’s hunger strike at Azad Maidan entered its fifth day Tuesday as he continued to demand inclusion of the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for reservation benefits.

The court noted the agitation had “literally paralysed” Mumbai and said it was giving Jarange and his supporters an “opportunity” to restore normalcy by vacating the streets.

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