Maratha Reservation Row: Manoj Jarange-Patil To Reach Mumbai On Thursday, Changes March Route

Mumbai, September 16, 2026: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange will be in Mumbai on Thursday, three days ahead of his planned arrival at Azad Maidan, where he intends to continue his hunger strike demanding reservation for members of the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

Health Concerns Delay Protest March

As announced, Patil commenced his protest march from Jalna on September 15. However, on the second day of the march, his health deteriorated, following which he was administered saline. Doctors who examined the activist also advised Patil to get admitted to a hospital for further treatment after his blood pressure and sugar level dropped significantly.

This development led to uncertainty over whether Patil would continue his stay in Beed, proceed with his protest march as scheduled, or drop his plans to travel to Mumbai.

However, addressing the media on Wednesday evening, Patil announced a change in his protest plans and stated that, instead of going to other locations such as Pune and Raigad, as decided earlier, he will now directly come to Mumbai from Beed. “I will 100 per cent go to Mumbai and will reach by Thursday,” Patil said during his interaction with the media, in Beed district of the Marathwada region.

Demand For Kunbi Certificates

Jarange is demanding the issuance of a Kunbi (OBC) certificate to all Maratha community members based on old government records and gazetteers (Hyderabad, Satara and Kolhapur).

On the 19th day of his hunger strike, Patil warned, “On the way, if anyone attempts to stop the protest march, thousands of Maratha community workers will come out on the street.”

This will be Patil’s 12th protest and his second in Mumbai since he started his protest demanding reservation for the Maratha community. Earlier in 2025, he had staged a five-day protest at Azad Maidan in the city.

Warning Of Government Repercussions

Further in his media address, Patil warned that if the police attempted to forcibly stop the march or resort to a lathi charge, the possibility of the government facing serious repercussions could not be ruled out.

“Even if I die, I will not back down. If the Maratha community is subjected to a lathi charge, the government could fall,” Jarange said, launching a sharp attack on the government.

Also in his message to the community members, Patil stated that those in support of reservation for the community will be informed about when they should come to Mumbai.

“Government has shared draft. I will read the draft and take a further call on how one should proceed further. Community members will be informed at the right stage on when to join the protest in Mumbai,” Jarange mentioned and instructed his supporters that one should maintain strict discipline during the protest and there should be no traffic blockages or any kind of inconvenience to citizens and commuters.

Fadnavis Urges Patil To Rethink

Earlier on Tuesday, the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had mentioned that 12 out of the total 13 demands made by Jarange-Patil have been accepted and acted on.

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“Only one pending demand could not be addressed as the issue is sub judice,” the CM mentioned and urged Patil to rethink his decision to stage protests in Mumbai, as it would cause inconvenience to devotees and citizens during the Ganpati festive season celebrations in Mumbai and Pune.

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