Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 30 (ANI): Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil intensified his indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Friday, over his demand to include all Marathas under the Kunbi category, a sub-caste classified under the OBC category, which will help the community avail benefits of the reservation in goverment jobs and education.

Addressing thousands of supporters, Jarange accused the Maharashtra government of failing to address the community's demands and said that protests will happen irrespective of what the Fadnavis government decides regarding permission for agitation.

'If the government enters our territory, the Marathas will enter theirs. I asked the youth to clear Mumbai, and they arranged everything and cleared the city. What more cooperation do you need? Poor kids have come here. What's their fault? They don't have any facilities. If you cause us trouble, we will cause you trouble when we come there,' Jarange said.

Stressing that the government should give assurances to the protestors on the issue, Jarange said that it is in the government's hands 'whether to break up the protest or grant permission'.

'The government should win the hearts of the Marathas. Everyone will forget the government, but the poor Marathas will not. Your MLAs and workers will forget, but the Marathas won't. Whether you give permission or not, the protest will happen. It's in the government's hands whether to break up the protest or grant permission,' he said.

'It's not our job to have a dialogue with the government right now. They want to destroy the Maratha community. They don't want to give us reservations. The government wants to ruin the Maratha community. If they can give a one-day permit, they can give a permanent one,' he added.

On Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange Patil's hunger strike, NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad said that the government should have spoken to activists beforehand.'The government should have spoken to him beforehand, immediately after he declared the agitation. I am nobody to tell the government what to do in this matter. I am just a silent observer.'

Manoj Jarange Patil, who led the Maratha reservation movement last year, held a protest at Azad Maidan from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm today as per the permission granted by the Mumbai Police.

Police forces were deployed in strength near the CSMT and surrounding localities to maintain law and order, anticipating a significant crowd.

The Mumbai Police on Friday said that Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil has been granted permission to continue his protest at Azad Maidan for one more day.

'He can continue with his protest at Azad Maidan for one more day, tomorrow,' a Mumbai Police spokesperson said.

Jarange Patil, known for his advocacy on Marathi reservation issues, has urged supporters to rally peacefully and called on authorities to address community concerns regarding reservation policies. Patil held multiple protest rallies and hunger strikes demanding reservation for the Maratha community ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections in 2024.

He had begun his hunger strikes in the Marathwada region, and the movement was later extended to cities including Pune and Mumbai. He had demanded Kunbi caste certificates for all Marathas, free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level, and reservation of seats for Marathas in government job recruitments.

On February 20, 2024, the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state brought a Bill to extend 10 per cent reservation to Marathas above the 50 per cent mark cap.

However, on May 5, 2021, the Supreme Court struck down reservations for the Maratha community in colleges, higher educational institutions, and jobs, after noting that there was no valid ground to breach the 50 per cent reservation while granting Maratha reservation. (ANI)