Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange reached the base of Shivneri Fort in Pune district on Thursday morning with hundreds of supporters as he continued his march toward Mumbai to press for reservation for the Maratha community. The fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is likely to see Jarange paying homage to the Maratha warrior king before proceeding further.
Jarange began his journey on Wednesday from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna, over 400 km from Mumbai, vowing to launch a fresh hunger strike in the state capital. On his way, he agreed to meet a government delegation near Pune, although state minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the Maratha quota sub-committee, clarified that no formal decision has been made for talks.
The activist, demanding a 10% quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, reiterated that the protest would remain peaceful and would not disturb Ganesh festival celebrations. He has also called for all Marathas to be recognized as Kunbis, an agrarian caste under the OBC list, to secure reservation benefits in jobs and education.
The Jalna police allowed the march under strict conditions, including maintaining law and order, avoiding traffic disruptions, and refraining from objectionable slogans. In Mumbai, the Azad Maidan police granted permission for a peaceful protest on August 29 between 9 am and 6 pm, capping the number of participants at 5,000. Only five vehicles from the main protest group will be allowed to proceed from Wadi Bunder Junction to Azad Maidan, the police stated.
