Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Friday escalated his indefinite hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, reiterating his demand that all Marathas be included under the Kunbi category, which falls under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) classification. This, he said, would ensure reservation benefits for the community in government jobs and education.
Addressing a massive gathering of supporters, Patil accused the Maharashtra government of neglecting Maratha concerns and warned that protests would not stop regardless of whether the state granted permission.
“If the government enters our territory, the Marathas will enter theirs. I told the youth to clear Mumbai, and they did so. What more cooperation does the government need? Poor children are here without basic facilities. If you trouble us, we will trouble you when we come to you,” Patil declared.
He further urged the government to provide concrete assurances to the community, emphasizing, “The government must win the hearts of Marathas. Everyone else may forget, but the poor Marathas won’t. Whether you give permission or not, the protest will happen. It’s your decision whether to break it up or allow it.”
Rejecting dialogue at this stage, Patil alleged that the government was deliberately trying to weaken the Maratha community. “They don’t want to give us reservations. If a one-day permit can be given, why not a permanent one?” he asked.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) leader Jitendra Awhad weighed in, saying the state should have engaged with Patil earlier. “The government should have spoken to him right after he announced the agitation. I am just an observer, but this delay was avoidable,” Awhad remarked.
Meanwhile, heavy police deployment was witnessed around Azad Maidan, CSMT, and nearby areas to maintain order as crowds swelled. The Mumbai Police confirmed that Patil has been permitted to continue his protest for another day.
Patil, who spearheaded the Maratha reservation movement last year, has consistently organized rallies and hunger strikes demanding Kunbi caste certificates for all Marathas, free education up to the postgraduate level, and reserved seats in government recruitment.
In February 2024, the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government introduced a Bill to extend 10 per cent reservation to Marathas, exceeding the 50 per cent cap. However, the move faced legal hurdles, as the Supreme Court had earlier (May 5, 2021) struck down Maratha reservation in education and jobs, ruling that the 50 per cent ceiling could not be breached without sufficient grounds.
