On Tuesday morning, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange, while addressing his supporters, warned the government against taking any steps to remove protesters from Azad Maidan. Jarange said that following the court’s directives, vehicles have been cleared from the roads and the crowd has been kept within the 5,000-person limit. “Now that we are not violating any rules, how can the government stop us from protesting?” he asked.
Jarange further added that even if the government arrests them, the agitation will continue from behind bars. He firmly stated that they will not leave Mumbai until their demands are fulfilled. More supporters are expected to join the protest over the weekend, and he held CM Devendra Fadnavis responsible for whatever happens next.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra sub-committee on Maratha reservation is expected to meet on Tuesday morning around 11 am to try and resolve the issue. Today’s meeting is said to be crucial, as many in the government expect some solution to the ongoing deadlock between the administration and protesters.
Maratha quota protest: Activist Manoj Jarange threatens to intensify stir
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday warned that his agitation would only intensify if the government failed to act on the community’s long-pending demands. Addressing supporters at Azad Maidan, where his indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day, Jarange declared that he would not leave Mumbai “until justice is delivered.”
“Even if the government tries to suppress us, we are not ghosts. We are the descendants of the Marathas. If our demands are not met, the protest will only grow stronger,” he said.
Jarange reiterated that the community’s demands included the implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara gazette, recognition of Marathas and Kunbis as one, distribution of Kunbi caste certificates, withdrawal of police cases, and continuation of the Shinde Committee’s record-searching work. “So far, 58 lakh records have been traced. Certificates must be distributed immediately. We will not move until validity is granted,” he stressed.
Defending the protest’s peaceful nature, Jarange said the agitation has not violated democracy or the law. “When the court issued an order at night, our youths removed vehicles from roads within hours. Today, there is no traffic anywhere in Mumbai because we follow rules,” he said, while asserting that court directives would continue to be respected.
The activist, however, cautioned the state against using force. “If you think of a lathi charge, that will be extremely dangerous. Do not insult us—if you respect us, these poor people will never forget it. But if you insult us, anger will rise,” he said, warning that attempts to arrest or suppress protesters could further escalate the situation.
