Mumbai came to a standstill, and traffic snarls were witnessed for kilometres at the end of Friday (August 29, 2025) after thousands of protestors joined Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil at Azad Maidan for his stir demanding the inclusion of the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes.
He has now threatened to continue the protest and fast till the quota is granted. “I will not go back until our demands are met. Even if I am shot dead, I will not retreat,” he said, even as the Mumbai Police granted him permission to carry on with the protest for another day on Saturday (August 30, 2025).
Azad Maidan, the venue of the protest, is a stone’s throw away from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the headquarters of Central Railways, and the end point of Mumbai’s lifeline local train network on the central and harbour lines. The protest site is also close to arterial roads.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Maharashtra was committed to finding a solution within the legal and constitutional framework. “Maharashtra cabinet committee is discussing the Maratha reservation issue, and will file a constitutionally valid solution. Our government has always stood by the Maratha community. I want to caution those who want to take political benefit from such a protest. We don’t want confrontation between the two communities. Issues can be resolved with discussion,” he said.
Meanwhile, lawyer and activist Advocate Gunaratna Sadavarte has called for action against Jarange-Patil for holding up the financial capital and for violating the rules about the protest.
Mr. Jarange-Patil expressed anger against the government for allowing to extension of the protest for only one day. “Instead of playing these games of giving one-day extension, announce reservations, and the poor Marathas will bless you forever. You have the opportunity to win the hearts of the poor Marathas,” he said. He also cautioned the government that further delay would lead to more Maratha community members coming to Mumbai to join the protest.
He accused the government of trying to divide the Marathas and OBCs. “We have never said that you should reduce the OBC quota and give it to us. We are asking for what is our right. This is our final fight. I will stop taking water in the next two days if there is a delay,” he said. He also accused the administration of locking public toilets near the Azad Maidan, and closing tea and snacks shops for the protestors.
“Doesn’t Mumbai belong to us? You say Mumbai is the financial capital of India, and we have disrupted its life. Don’t you think poor Marathas should also be economically empowered?” he asked, appealing to the protestors to cook their own food and eat inside their vehicles.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the government will not do injustice to the Marathas over the reservation demand, but will not let other communities face injustice either.
Earlier in the day, Jarange-Patil arrived at Azad Maidan at 9.45 a.m. with thousands of supporters. People from across Maharashtra visited the venue and further protested in other locations, including the Chatrapati Shivaji terminus, and members of the protestors clad in saffron shawls were seen shouting slogans invoking the Maratha ruler Chatrapati Shivaji, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mr. Patil himself.
Farmers who belong to the caste came from villages as far as 600 km away from Mumbai to participate in the protest. “Until our demands are met, we will not move from Mumbai,” they said.
A Baramati-based advocate named Vijay Tawre said that he was there “purely” for the demand of considering Marathas as Kunbis and that they would not leave until Mr.Patil. Later in the day, by 9 p.m., Mr. Tawre said that the police had extended the permission to protest for the next day and that talks with the government are expected on Saturday (August 30, 2025), Mr. Tawre said in a phone call with The Hindu. He added that Mr. Jarange Patil will continue to sit on a hunger strike on Saturday (August 30, 2025) as well.
Mr. Jarange Patil and people in the Maratha community have been demanding a 10% reservation for Marathas under the Kunbi category in the central list of OBC. The Mandal Commission report initially did not include Marathas for reservations, as the report found that the community was not socially or educationally backwards.
Although this was based on the 1931 caste census, subsequent commissions to review this also found that there was no case for including Marathas under the SEBC category, although they had economic backwardness.
The Gaikwad Commission, however, recommended a reservation for the community under OBC, following which the Maratha reservation bill was passed. This, however, was struck down by the Supreme Court on the grounds that the State Government had no right to categorise castes as SEBC and breach the 50% cap on reservations.
Published – August 29, 2025 10:19 pm IST
