The Bombay High Court on Wednesday requested the Maharashtra government to make sure that peace and order was maintained and that the “health” of the demonstrators was not jeopardized during activist Manoj Jarange’s hunger fast for Maratha minority quota.
The continuous demonstrations by Maratha community members were the subject of a public interest lawsuit brought by Nilesh Shinde, which was being heard by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Arun Pednekar.
On September 1, police lathicharged a crowd in the Latur district’s Antarwali Sarati hamlet, where Jarange is on a hunger strike. This sparked outrage throughout the state.
In a democratic democracy, individuals may express their ambitions in a variety of ways, but these ways shouldn’t be allowed to take on the role of causing social unrest of any type, according to the HC.
It said that the state’s obligation to uphold law and order, as well as peace and tranquillity in society, at all costs, while simultaneously defending each person’s or group’s freedom to express their ambitions.
“No protest or agitation being carried out for whatever reason can be permitted to assume the character of causing any law and order situation,” the court said.
Every person and every group of people have the “fundamental right” to demonstrate, but they must do it peacefully, the bench said.
When speaking on behalf of the state, Advocate General Birendra Saraf told the court that the government had taken action on the matter and encouraged Jarange to cease his fast.
The judge’s panel approved his explanation and ordered the government to take all necessary legal action to maintain law and order and safeguard the protesters’ health.
The judges stated that it was also required of the protesters not to engage in any behavior that might compromise the state’s law and order.
