Jarange plans solo journey to Mumbai, says it will be his final battle

At the same time, Jarange said he remained open to talks whenever and wherever the government invited him.

He said he was changing his strategy because the Fadnavis government was concerned about a large number of Marathas travelling to Mumbai. “We are countering Fadnavis’s moves with strategic plans of our own. He is saying that if Marathas come to Mumbai, it would cause issues. If I go to Mumbai alone, how can Fadnavis then deny me permission?” he asked.

Urging members of the Maratha community not to travel to Mumbai for now, Jarange said he would leave accompanied by only eight to 10 close associates.

“The Maratha community should remain calm and avoid panicking. They should not travel to Mumbai for now,” he said.

He said he would inform the community when it was time to travel to Mumbai. “They should keep the funds and vehicles ready. I will inform them when the time is right,” he said.

Jarange said his “physical struggle” had begun and described the journey as his “final battle”.

“I have removed my IV saline, and the physical struggle has begun. The journey over the next five to six days will be life-threatening. I will not stay at anyone’s home during halts; I will stay in public squares. This will be the final battle,” he said.

He added that even if his health deteriorated, he would not allow doctors or police to intervene. “Even if my life is at risk, I will not let the honour and dignity of the Maratha community bow down by even an inch,” he said.

Jarange said his planned halts during the journey would be at Patoda, Shrigonda, Hadapsar and Khopoli. He instructed local supporters at each stop to set up simple platforms similar to the one at Antarwali-Sarati. He said his fast would continue throughout the journey and after he reached Mumbai.

Jarange accused the state government of using the festival season as a pretext to deny permission for the protest. He alleged that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other ministers could attempt to discredit the Maratha movement. He also criticised Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil over the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette, alleging that the government had wasted a crucial year for the community.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police rejected Jarange’s second request to hold his protest fast at Azad Maidan.

Jarange had initially sought permission to begin his agitation at Azad Maidan on September 19. The police rejected the request on September 12. His supporters submitted a second application on September 13, which was also rejected.

The Mumbai Police cited several reasons for its decision. During a similar agitation in 2025, around 5,000 vehicles were parked on public roads, causing severe traffic congestion and law-and-order issues, it said.

The police also said Mumbai sees exceptionally heavy footfall during the festival period and that managing large crowds of festival-goers and protesters simultaneously would pose significant security risks.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government had fulfilled “almost all” the demands raised by the Maratha community, while some demands were pending before courts or at various stages.

“We have also conveyed that these demands cannot be accepted without following constitutional methods or the court’s process. We have never closed the doors to dialogue. We are ready to do whatever is stated in the Constitution. However, we cannot act beyond the rules laid down by the court,” Fadnavis said.

He added, “I feel that staging an agitation in Mumbai during the Ganesh festival and causing inconvenience to Ganesh devotees is not right for anyone. This decision should be reconsidered.”