Ban protests in south Mumbai's high-security zone, demands Sena MP Deora post-quota stir chaos

Mumbai, Sep 4 (PTI) After five-day-long agitation by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange disrupted normal life in south Mumbai, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora has demanded prohibiting protests or relocating them from the area's "high-security, high-functioning zones".

In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deora said while the right to protest is an essential democratic freedom, it must be balanced with the rights of ordinary citizens to live and work without disruption.

South Mumbai is not only the heart of the state's governance, but also its political and economic nerve centre, the Rajya Sabha MP said.

He pointed out that south Mumbai houses the Maharashtra government secretariat (Mantralaya), the Vidhan Sabha, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, head offices of Mumbai and Maharashtra police as well as the Western Naval Command.

The area is also a hub of financial institutions and houses corporate headquarters, and vital infrastructure on which millions of people depend every day, said the former Lok Sabha MP from the Mumbai South constituency.

"I, therefore, urge the Government of Maharashtra to take necessary steps to prohibit or relocate such protests away from south Mumbai's high-security, high-functioning zones. This will ensure citizens' rights are protected, governance remains uninterrupted, and Mumbai continues to function as the undisputed financial and political capital of India and Maharashtra, respectively," Deora stated.

No capital city in the world permits its core institutions of governance, security, and economy to be repeatedly crippled by protests, asserted the former Union minister.

While peaceful demonstrations are integral to democracy, their location and scale must not undermine the functioning of government, municipal administration, security forces, or the private sector, noted Deora, whose party is a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition.

The five-day-long hunger strike (August 29-September 2) by Jarange at Azad Maidan brought thousands of quota protesters to south Mumbai from different parts of Maharashtra.

While the activist fasted at the designated protest site, his supporters flooded streets, Mumbai CSMT station, played cricket on roads and parked their vehicles on key pathways, disrupting normal life in south Mumbai and drawing criticism from various quarters, including traders association.

The chaos caused by the stir reached the Bombay High Court, where judges slammed the agitators and noted Mumbai has been brought to a standstill.

Normalcy was restored after Jarange ended his fast on September 2. PTI PR RSY