The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to hear on urgent basis a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s Mumbai rally even as the activist said he would hit the capital on January 20 with crores of members of the Maratha community.
The petitioner Hemant Patil had also sought the registration of an FIR against Mr. Jarange-Patil for alleged breach of peace, public nuisance, and sedition.
The advocate representing Mr. Hemant Patil had contended that around 1-2 crore people led by Mr. Jarange-Patil were likely to assemble at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan during the rally demanding that Marathas be including in the Kunbi OBC category.
The HC told the petitioner that the court should not be involved in such matters and the petitioner can approach the authorities concerned with the grievances.
“We cannot start entertaining matters on apprehension that 1-2 crore are going to assemble in Bombay. We have more important work. Go to the authorities. We are not sitting here to maintain law and order,” a division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif S. Doctor told the petitioner.
The petitioner had sought a directive to stop Mr. Jarange-Patil from entering Mumbai on January 20 for his scheduled mega-rally demanding Kunbi OBC status for the Marathas. He further said that while he had sent a representation to the police on January 5 to register an FIR against Mr. Jarange-Patil, he had failed to get a response and hence had moved the Bombay HC.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jarange-Patil, who has said that the January 20 rally in Mumbai would be the “biggest march ever”, today said that preparations were nearly complete and that all Marathas were determined to converge upon the capital and secure justice.
Speaking in Sindkhed Raja in Buldhana district on occasion of the 426th birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mother, Rajmata Jijabai, the quota activist further criticised Prime Minister Narendra for not coming to Sindkhed Raja while alleging the PM did not care for the poorer members of the Maratha community.
“Today is the 426th anniversary of Rajmata Jijabai. Coincidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Maharashtra. He could have come to Sindkhed Raja today to pay his respects. However, he did not come because he does not care about ordinary Marathas,” the activist said.
He further criticised Deputy CM and rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar for daring to talk about taking action against the Maratha protesters if they attempted to storm Mumbai.
“We will hit the capital on January 20. Three crore Marathas will come for the rally from all over Maharashtra. The government should stop taking any action against protestors. We propose coming to Mumbai in a peaceful manner. We will not go back without securing reservation,” Mr. Jarange-Patil warned.
