Shobhaa De backs HC's Mumbai road protest order
Author and columnist Shobhaa De has backed the Bombay High Court's order to clear Mumbai roads blocked by Manoj Jarange Patil's Maratha quota protest, calling it "much needed and truly important."
She questioned the disruption caused to daily life, asking, "Can you bully the city like that—or any other city?"
and expressed concern over the chaos, stating that such actions were a nuisance to the city's work ethic and daily life.
Jarange Patil's protest spills over into streets, causing traffic chaos
The protest began on a Friday at Azad Maidan with permission for just one day and 5,000 people.
But things quickly escalated—crowds grew to nearly 45,000, spilling over onto major South Mumbai roads and causing chaos for commuters.
The High Court stepped in, saying the protest was "not peaceful," ordering all roads cleared by Tuesday at 4pm and telling authorities to keep protests limited to Azad Maidan with no new participants allowed.
Jarange Patil vows to continue hunger strike
While Maharashtra's government says it wants a lawful solution, Manoj Jarange Patil has vowed to continue his hunger strike until their demands are met.
So for now, things remain tense as both sides stand firm.