Jarange Alleges Plot to Kill Him Ahead of Mumbai Maratha Quota March
Manoj Jarange Patil alleges a conspiracy to kill him during his Mumbai march for Maratha reservation, as his hunger strike enters its 16th day.
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Sunday alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill him and to create unrest during his planned march to Mumbai, even as his hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district entered its 16th day.
Addressing supporters and reporters at the protest site, Mr. Jarange claimed that people linked to the ruling parties could be planted in the march to cause chaos and target him. He alleged that some Maratha MLAs from the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena were telephoning his supporters to dissuade them from joining the agitation.
"There is a conspiracy to shoot me during the march. They do not want to kill Marathas, but want to target me," he said, adding, "I will accept death, but I will not surrender."
Mr. Jarange said he would set out from Antarwali Sarati on September 15 and reach Mumbai on September 19, where he would begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan at 10 a.m. He announced the plan on Saturday, calling for the march during the Ganpati festivities, which run from September 14 to 25, and said the government still had eight days to resolve the issue.
He maintained that the protest would be peaceful and democratic and that an application seeking permission had been submitted. Conditions imposed by the government, he said, would be acceptable. "I am going to Mumbai. What is my mistake? Am I violating the law? If you want to impose conditions, impose them," he said.
Appealing to Marathas to participate, he urged those who were afraid not to join, but asked others to march to Mumbai and, if necessary, to join his funeral procession. He also said recent rains had eased conditions for farmers and that agricultural work was largely complete, making it possible for supporters to travel.
Targeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Mr. Jarange alleged that those in power were conspiring against him. He said he had trusted Mr. Shinde and returned from Vashi in Navi Mumbai in January 2024 after a government resolution was issued on the quota demands. Warning that his supporters could politically challenge some Ministers, he said, "We will have to respond when someone steps on the tail of a snake."
Mr. Jarange said he would not be intimidated by inquiries ordered against him or his associates, repeating that he would not surrender. He claimed that 58 lakh Kunbi records had been found and demanded that certificates be issued to eligible Marathas.
His central demand is a government resolution allowing Marathas to claim the reservation available to the Kunbi community within the Other Backward Classes segment, based on old records and gazette documents. OBC groups have opposed the demand, saying their share of benefits would be affected.
On Friday, the Bombay High Court declined to pass any urgent order on a petition seeking to stop the fresh protest in Mumbai, observing that every person has the right to protest and that no restraining order can be issued merely on apprehension of law and order trouble.
Mr. Jarange had launched an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan on August 29 last year to press the same demand. That agitation caused disruption in parts of the city and was called off after the government accepted some of his demands.