A tense standoff erupted at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan on Tuesday after the Bombay High Court ordered Maratha quota protestors to vacate the protest site by 3 pm. Activist Manoj Jarange, on an indefinite hunger strike since August 29, insisted that he would not leave until the Maratha community received 10% reservation under the OBC category. Police repeatedly appealed to the protestors to disperse as traffic came to a standstill, with even ambulances stuck in the chaos. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) carried out a late-night “deep cleaning” drive at the site, deploying heavy machinery and workers to restore normalcy. Despite the High Court’s stern warning that the agitation had “paralysed” Mumbai, Jarange asserted he would leave only after the community’s demands were met, keeping the city on edge.