Manoj Jarange Patil. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, who is on his way to Mumbai, said on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) that his tour might be cancelled due to health issues arising from long hours of travel and his ongoing hunger strike.
Mr. Jarange reached Patoda in Maharashtra’s Beed district around 11 a.m., nearly 14 hours after setting out from Antarwali Sarati in Jalna, where he launched his fresh round of agitation. He later addressed a gathering there.
The activist said he was facing a severe burning sensation in the stomach and feet.
“If I take treatment, the government becomes completely carefree. If I stop treatment, they become tense. This tour to Mumbai is taking a toll on my health. I can continue if I’m fine, but such long travel is not good amid a hunger strike. The tour can also be cancelled if there is no option,” he said.
Mumbai police earlier denied permission to Mr. Jarange, who has been on a hunger strike for the last 18 days demanding OBC quota for Maratha community members with Kunbi caste genealogies, to take the protest to Azad Maidan, citing law and order concerns during the ongoing Ganesh festival.
Undeterred by the denial, Mr. Jarange on Tuesday (September 15) set out for the Maharashtra capital in a convoy of cars, drawing hundreds of villagers en route who extended their support.
“Reservation is more important than the tour, which seems impossible because of the burning sensation in my stomach and feet,” he told the crowd in Patoda on Wednesday.
Mr. Jarange also appealed to his supporters to let him go to Mumbai alone.
“No vehicle should follow me from Patoda. I will change my route and go to Mumbai. I will only keep the police informed. Please let me go alone. If I am not allowed to enter Mumbai, then you all can come,” he said.
Hinting that the government won’t tolerate any intimidating tactics, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said on Tuesday that maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the police. He also questioned the timing of the agitation during the Ganesh festival.
The CM said the government had accepted 12 of the 13 “legally valid” demands raised by Maratha protesters.
As per his current plan, Mr. Jarange’s carcade will pass through Beed, Srigonda in Ahilyanagar, Hadapsar in Pune and Khopoli in Raigad district before reaching Azad Maidan in Mumbai on September 19, covering more than 400 km.
Mr. Jarange led a major five-day protest and a hunger strike at Azad Maidan on August 29, 2025, demanding Kunbi (OBC) caste certificates for eligible Marathas. The stir was called off on September 2, 2025, after the State government accepted six of eight demands and initiated administrative steps for Kunbi classification certificates.
Published – September 16, 2026 12:01 pm IST
