Jarange-Patil vows to take Maratha quota fight to Mumbai; 10 people, two ambulances to accompany him on Sept. 15

Manoj Jarange-Patil, a prominent Maratha quota campaigner, told supporters in Jalna district that he will depart for Mumbai on September 15 at 11 a.m. to hold a demonstration at Azad Maidan, following the Maharashtra government's refusal to allow his planned indefinite hunger strike in the city.

The activist said only ten volunteers and two ambulances will accompany him along the route, emphasizing that he intends to travel alone to avoid a larger gathering that could be disrupted by authorities. The police had rejected his request for a protest starting September 19, citing security concerns amid the ongoing Ganeshotsav celebrations that began on September 14.

Jarange-Patil’s fast, now in its 16th day, is aimed at securing a government resolution that would permit Marathas to claim reservation benefits currently available to the Kunbi community under the OBC category. While the state government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP, maintains that most of the demands have been addressed and that any further action must follow legal channels, it warned that protests during the festival could inconvenience devotees. The standoff highlights the broader tension over reservation policies and the political mobilization of the Maratha community in Maharashtra.