Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has announced that he will leave for Mumbai on Tuesday with a small group of associates, days after police denied permission for his proposed indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan.
Jarange-Patil said he would travel with four to five associates, two vehicles and two ambulances. At the same time, he appealed to his supporters not to immediately march towards Mumbai and asked them to remain in their respective areas until he gives further instructions.
“Do not march to Mumbai now. I will call you at the right time,” Jarange-Patil told supporters, according to Hindustan Times. He said the strategy had been changed to prevent his supporters from being put at risk.
The activist also challenged the Maharashtra government and police over the denial of permission. He questioned how authorities would stop him from entering Mumbai if he travelled with only a few people.
Jarange-Patil had planned to hold an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from September 19 to press his demand for Maratha reservation benefits under the Kunbi category. Police, however, refused permission, citing concerns over a large gathering and its possible impact on normal life in South Mumbai.
Authorities said such a protest could affect schools, courts, public transport and healthcare services and potentially create a law-and-order challenge. Police also pointed to the Ganeshotsav celebrations beginning September 14, arguing that the festival would already require extensive security arrangements.
Jarange-Patil accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of creating obstacles to his movement and alleged that religious considerations were being used to prevent the protest. He also raised concerns about possible attempts to infiltrate the agitation and trigger violence.
Despite changing his immediate strategy, Jarange-Patil made it clear that his demands remain unchanged. He said he did not want his supporters to face violence or put their lives at risk.
“I do not want to put all of you in danger,” he said, while adding that he was not prepared to surrender on the community's demands.
Jarange-Patil has been on an indefinite hunger strike in Jalna since August 29. His agitation centres on 15 demands related to Maratha reservation.
Following the police decision, he also stopped taking saline and instructed his team in Mumbai to submit a fresh application seeking permission for the proposed protest.
The Maharashtra government has maintained that substantial steps have already been taken on several of his demands. Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis recently said that most of the demands that could benefit the Maratha community had been addressed.
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the state Cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, said the government had taken measures to facilitate Kunbi certificates for eligible Marathas, enabling them to access benefits under the Other Backward Class category.
He also claimed that more than 350,000 Maratha youths had benefited from the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes quota, while a similar number had obtained Kunbi certificates.
With Jarange-Patil now preparing to travel to Mumbai, attention is likely to remain focused on how the government and police respond to his next move and whether his supporters will eventually be called to join the agitation.
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