MUMBAI, Sept. 2 -- The entire city has been brought to a standstill due to the ongoing Maratha quota agitation led by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, the Bombay High Court (HC) observed on Monday, and asked activists and supporters to vacate the streets by noon on Tuesday. The Maratha activist's indefinite hunger strike entered the fourth day on Monday, driven by a demand of reservation for Marathas in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, by implementing the Hyderabad (1909) and Satara (1884) gazettes to facilitate Kunbi certificates for them. In a special hearing in response to a PIL filed by Amy Foundation, an NGO dedicated to protect public welfare and safety, a bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad underlined that the protesters had not remained at the designated place (Azad Maidan) and spread out all over south Mumbai, blocking several vital links, such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Churchgate railway stations. The administration also had to shut down D N Road, Mahapalika Marg, P D'Mello Road and a lane along the fashion street. Madam Cama Road that runs along the Mantralaya also had to be shut down for security reasons. "The situation is grim. Protesters are bathing and cooking and defecating on the streets," the court said. In the course of the hearing, Advocate General Dr Birendra Saraf told the court that permission for the protest in Azad Maidan was granted only till August 29, and that "Jarange and his followers had violated every single condition and undertaking given to the police (about holding a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan with 5,000 supporters)". The judges also questioned why the state government had not taken action and cleared the streets sooner, and directed it to ensure that "no more protesters enter the city henceforth". On Sunday, Jarange-Patil had threatened "five crore people will come to the city if chief minister Devendra Fadnavis does not respond to our demand". Hours after the hearing, Jarange-Patil told his supporters to clear the roads, while he continued his agitation. "I will not go till reservation is given. But Mumbaikars should not be inconvenienced. Move your vehicles from the roads and park them in Azad Maidan and Cross Maidan. Those who do not want to listen to me, are free to return to their respective villages. You should understand the pain I am going through. I had to take sips of water to speak to you," he told his supporters. While Virendra Pawar, the coordinator of Maratha Kranti Morcha, the umbrella body of all Maratha outfits, said the government had not given permission to park at Cross Maidan, late in the evening HT learnt from people in the know that some protesters were moving their vehicles to Wadi Bunder, the space allocated to them earlier for parking. Speaking to the media while inaugurating a bridge in Pune late afternoon, Fadnavis said, "The administration will implement HC's directives. The court has expressed dissatisfaction over violations of protest permissions in Mumbai and objectionable acts of protesters. They are belittling the culture and teachings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The state government will try to act amicably." He refuted allegations of a breach of law and order in the city - "certain shops in the city were closed for their safety, under police protection". The state government has asked Mumbai police to implement HC's order and not allow new protesters to enter the city. Earlier in the day, the chief minister held a meeting with his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and members of the cabinet sub-committee headed by water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, to mitigate the issue and explore legal remedies that could withstand legal scrutiny. The sub-committee discussed the demand to implement the principles of the twin gazettes, following which Vikhe Patil said, "the state government will issue a notification soon to implement the gazettes so that Marathas can get Kunbi certificates". However, an official from the general administration department (GAD), who was privy to the discussions in the meeting, said, "These gazettes have no specific records of the castes, only the population of various castes. On the basis of the records of the Kunbis and Marathas, the implementation of the gazette will not work in their favour. The state government has the power to direct issuing of the certificates to certain castes. The proposed notification is expected to be issued using those powers." He underscored that it will not lead to a blanket reservation (as Jarange-Patil has demanded) in the OBC quota. Expressing optimism about talks with the activist, the CM told the media, "We have discussed legal options available to us in our meeting today. The protesters have submitted their memorandum (of demands submitted to the government delegation that met the activist on Friday). We are sure of a positive outcome regarding their demands." He added that the "government is willing to have a dialogue with them provided someone from their (protesters) side comes forward". This was seconded by Vikhe Patil. "We have prepared a draft proposal related to the Hyderabad gazette in connection with the demands, which will be finalized on the basis of previous Supreme Court and HC orders," he said....