Jarange Patil begins indefinite fast for Maratha quota, warns of Mumbai march

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Saturday (August 29, 2026) launched an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district, reigniting the reservation agitation with a fresh set of demands for the State government.

Addressing supporters at the protest site, Mr. Patil insisted that the government must not delay action. He demanded the immediate issuance of caste certificates and validity documents based on the 58 lakh Kunbi records identified by the Shinde committee. He also cited the Hyderabad Gazetteer and called for implementation of resolutions related to the Aundh-Pune, Bombay Government, and Satara Gazetteers.

Mr. Patil warned that if the demands were not met at Antarwali Sarati, the protest would shift to Mumbai. "We will go to Varsha Bungalow or Azad Maidan," he said, appealing to Mumbai residents to accommodate the agitators.

In a new demand, Mr. Patil called for the abolition of caste scrutiny committees in Maharashtra, claiming such a mechanism exists only in the State. He said the process should be simplified at the tehsildar level instead.

He reiterated earlier demands, including the withdrawal of police cases against Maratha agitators, government jobs and financial aid for families of those who died during the movement, and the release of pending interest refunds from the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Economic Backwards Development Corporation.

Mr. Patil also warned local elected representatives, stating that leaders who failed to join the agitation would face consequences in the next elections. He claimed senior leaders from the BJP and Shiv Sena had called him, hinting that this would reveal who the opponents were.

On the first day of the fast, Jalna district police served Mr. Patil a notice under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), imposing conditions to maintain law and order during the protest.