Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai: Senior officials have admitted that an “intelligence deficit” and delayed communication between government departments contributed to the chaos during the recent Maratha quota protest at Azad Maidan. With over 30,000 protestors flooding south Mumbai, the civic administration (BMC) struggled to manage the situation, which disrupted life in the area for nearly four days.
BMC Prepared for 15,000, Faced 35,000 Protestors
According to civic sources, the BMC had been informed that only 5,000 protestors were permitted as per court orders. Anticipating a larger turnout, preparations were made for around 15,000 people — but only for a single day. Instead, nearly 35,000 protestors arrived and camped for multiple days near CST, overwhelming civic arrangements. Officials said that neither the police nor the state government communicated the extended protest timeline or the large inflow of people.
Breakdown in Coordination
Civic officials said no high-level meeting was held between the police and the BMC to draft a standard operating procedure (SOP) for managing the protest. “Had prior information been given, the situation could have been handled better. Instead, ad hoc arrangements had to be made at the last minute,” one official said. Vehicles carrying protestors had been seen leaving various districts days earlier, but this information was not relayed in time to the civic body.
Blame Game Over Responsibility
The lack of timely intelligence and planning led to traffic disruptions and logistical chaos from Saturday through Tuesday. A former top bureaucrat backed claims that coordination between district and state officials was inadequate. Meanwhile, a BJP minister defended the government, insisting that protest leader Manoj Jarange was expected to follow Bombay High Court orders, and held him responsible for the disruption. Critics, however, pointed out the administration’s failure to anticipate the fallout of allowing tens of thousands to gather in south Mumbai, a hub of economic and social activity.
