Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil has sought permission to hold a protest and hunger strike at Mumbai's Azad Maidan from August 29, as he prepares to resume his agitation for reservation for the Maratha community, Mid-day reported.
Jarange Patil's authorised representative submitted a written application to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the Senior Inspector of Azad Maidan police station, seeking permission for the proposed agitation. The organisers have given the authorities a written assurance that the agitation will remain peaceful and democratic and that they will comply with applicable rules and regulations.
The stated purpose of the agitation as according to Mid-day, is to press the Maharashtra government to address what Jarange and his supporters describe as the long-pending demands of the Maratha community.
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The proposed date of August 29 carries particular significance because Jarange has previously used it as a major date in his reservation agitation. In 2025, he began a major hunger strike at Mumbai's Azad Maidan on August 29, demanding reservation for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
PTI reports from that agitation stated that Jarange wanted Marathas to be recognised as Kunbis, an agrarian community included in the OBC category, so that eligible Marathas could access OBC reservation benefits.
The present move to seek permission comes amid renewed pressure on the Maharashtra government. The Times of India reported that Jarange had warned the state government to fulfil the Maratha community's demands by August 28. He also appealed to the members of the Maratha and Kunbi communities across Maharashtra to remain united and oppose what he described as injustice.
The core dispute remains Jarange's demands for expanded access to OBC reservation benefits for Marathas, particularly through recognition of eligible Marathas as Kunbis and the issuance of Kunbi certificates.
The issue is politically and socially sensitive because OBC organisations have repeatedly opposed any move they believed could dilute or affect existing OBC reservation benefits.
The Times of India reported that earlier this month, OBC activists Laxman Hake and Mangesh Sasane had announced a statewide agitation beginning September 1 to oppose Jarange's demands, highlighting the continuing friction between the two sides.
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