Why Jarange-Patil’s Mumbai march amid Ganeshotsav has government worried

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, who refuses to refer to the Maratha quota activist by name, hopes ‘followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will not cause any disruption during Hindu festivals’.

4 min readPuneSep 13, 2026 03:40 PM IST

For the past two weeks, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has been on his 11th hunger strike in Antarwali-Sarati village. (File Photo).

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has decided to march from Jalna district to Mumbai and continue his hunger strike there from September 19. It poses a law-and-order challenge to the Maharashtra government ahead of the Ganesh festival, beginning on September 14.

For the past two weeks, Jarange has been on his 11th hunger strike in Antarwali-Sarati, the village where a police lathicharge injured over 100 Maratha quota protesters in 2023. Jarange has specifically targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis since the police action.

On Saturday, after failing to get the kind of response he wanted from the Fadnavis government to his demands, Jarange announced that he and thousands of supporters would march from the village on September 15 and reach Mumbai by September 19.

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During his past fasts, Jarange demanded that the Maratha community be included in the Other Backward Classes category and sought the issuance of Kunbi certificates to its members.

A committee appointed by the government to identify historical revenue and Kunbi records has identified as many as 58 lakh records. The committee applied the Hyderabad Gazette to eight districts of the Marathwada region to trace Nizam-era Kunbi records. The government says it has distributed 3,16,977 Kunbi caste certificates.

Demand for more Kunbi certificates

With his latest hunger strike, Jarange is pressuring the government to issue Kunbi caste certificates based on all 58 lakh identified records.

The trigger for Jarange’s latest fast came after the Caste Scrutiny Committee rejected the Kunbi caste certificates of four public representatives from Marathwada. He demands the validation of their Kunbi certificates.

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Also Read | Why Manoj Jarange-Patil’s ninth hunger strike for Maratha quota fizzled out

Besides, the activist also demands that the government apply the gazettes from Satara, Kolhapur, and other princely states to the Maratha population.

However, the government has said the matter is in court. ”When the matter of Hyderabad Gazette is already in court, how can we start implementing the Satara and Kolhapur gazettes? This will be like overruling the court,” said BJP leader Prasad Lad, one of those mediating between the government and the activist.

Lad said Jarange had put forth 15 demands. ”Of the 15 demands, the Fadnavis government has accepted 14 demands. One demand can not be met as the matter is sub judice,” he said.

While Jarange has been soft on Lad, he has been unsparing of some BJP and Shiv Sena leaders and ministers such as Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Uday Samant, and Sanjay Shirsat. He has also started targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He holds them responsible for the cancellation of Kunbi caste certificates of four public representatives.

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In response to Jarange’s continued tirade, the government decided not to send a delegation to Antarwali-Sarati, which provoked the activist to plan the Mumbai march.

Fadnavis’s ‘expectation of Shivaji followers’

If Jarange reaches Mumbai’s Azad Maidan for the hunger strike, the police and local administration will find it difficult to handle the huge crowd at a time when the Ganesh festival would be underway.

”My only expectation is that all followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will not cause any disruption during Hindu festivals or the Ganeshotsav. Beyond this, I have no comment,” Fadnavis has said.

While Eknath Shinde has twice visited Antarwali-Sarati and interacted with Jarange, Fadnavis has stayed away from the activist. During his press interactions, he also refuses to refer to Jarange by name or make any critical comments about him.

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And Jarange is not ready to buy the Fadnavis government’s claim that it has consistently done justice to the Maratha community, unlike past governments led by Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar of the NCP(SP).

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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