Mumbai: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil held a large demonstration here Friday, demanding the community be given Kunbi certificates under the OBC category. Sporting saffron scarfs and caps, thousands of his supporters came from different parts of the state and joined him in the protest that threw traffic in the city out of gear amid steady rains through the day.
They thronged the CST railway station, raising slogans like ‘Ek Marathi Lakh Maratha’ and ‘Hum bhi Jarange’. Some Maratha MLAs from both ruling and opposition parties joined the protest including Prakash Solanke from ruling NCP (Ajit Pawar), and Bajrang Sonawane, Sandeep Kshirsagar and Kailash Patil from the Opposition.
The agitation started at the Azad Maidan, with Jarange Patil vowing to not leave the venue till his demands were met, even though the police permission for the rally was only till 6 pm. However, the police later extended the permission by another day.
According to police officials, more than 1,500 personnel have been deployed across the city to maintain law and order. According to police estimates, around 40,000 people came to Mumbai for the protest.
The protest is significant in the backdrop of the upcoming local body polls, especially because his quota stir had had an impact on the Lok Sabha election, with the BJP-led Mahayuti losing seven out of eight Marathwada seats.
And in a double whammy for the Devendra Fadnavis-led government, the OBCs would also be protesting, with their leaders meeting in Pune Saturday to decide thor next course of action.
The government has said that it is trying to meet the demands of the Maratha community without hurting the OBCs but the matter (of Marathas getting separate reservation above the already 50 percent quota for the state) is subjudice. A subcommittee of the government under minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil was likely to meet Jarange, but the meeting did not happen tale late in the evening.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the media they are positive about the reservation.
“We are cooperating with the community over the quota. We need to find ways in accordance with the law, not just give them assurance. But I want to say that these two communities that are in front of each other, that should not happen. We need to look after OBCs as well. They should remember that it was during our time that Marathas were given justice. So, opposition trying to politicise this should not do it, as they have not done anything for Marathas,” he said.
The opposition MVA has extended their support to Jarange Patil. Former chief minister and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Uddhav Thackeray told the media that if Marathi manoos cannot come to Mumbai then where will they go to get justice. “This is the responsibility of the government. They swore on the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. What happened to it?” he asked.
Also Read: Mumbai his stage, guns trained at Fadnavis, Maratha quota activist Jarange Patil returns
Jarange in Mumbai
Manoj Jarange Patil arrived in Mumbai Friday morning, asserting he won’t leave Mumbai without getting his demands approved.
Patil, who was given permission to hold a protest for a day at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, started his agitation around 10 am. He was joined by thousands of Marathas who flooded the roads in Navi Mumbai leading to Mumbai.
“I will not leave Mumbai till all our demands are met. That means even if the police resort to bullets or put us in jail, we will not go back. This is my word,” he asserted.
Jarange also warned the government over hotels and restaurants being closed in the Azad Maidan vicinity due to the protest. “You remember what you have done to us and we will do the same to you when you come to our villages for rallies. This government is worse than the British,” he said.
Addressing his supporters and fellow protesters, he said, “You don’t have to wait here. Those who wish to go back can go ahead in the evening. I appeal to the government to let us protest without any time restrictions. We just want reservation under the OBC category. I want to tell the government, it is better to not take the wrath of Marathas,” Patil said, while appealing to Marathas to protest peacefully.
The Mumbai police put restrictions on vehicular movement towards South Mumbai, while also asking the protestors to park their cars away from the location to avoid congestion.
This is Patil’s ninth protest in the past two years. Last time, when Jarange tried to come to Mumbai in January 2024, then chief minister Eknath Shinde had assured him that all 57 lakh Marathas would get Kunbi certificates. A draft notification to this effect was also issued by the state’s social justice department which is yet to be implemented.
Jarange is demanding the draft should be implemented. So far, more than 5 lakh Marathas have received Kunbi certificates. In the upcoming elections, this could benefit Shinde especially in the regions of Marathwada since Patil has been targeting Fadnavis and not his Mahayuti allies Shidne or Ajit Pawar.
“The entire agitation seemed to be orchestrated to give benefit to Shinde it seems. This is a result of the cold war between Shinde and Fadnavis. However, with Fadnavis playing smartly and allowing Jarange to come to Mumbai, it seems to give him the edge,” said political analyst Prakash Bal.
“Besides, today Amit Shah is in Mumbai so Fadnavis saying that the matter is subjudice and the OBCs and the Marathas will get different reservations is a clear message to both communities. The BJP that gets OBC votes will not be challenged is the clear message,” he said.
OBC protests
Meanwhile, OBC leader Laxman Hake said Patil’s agitation had a “political agenda”. “Is he an autocrat? Is he a Hitler? Is it what he wants to become? He doesn’t want to listen to the court and the government. This is not a social cause for quota but a political agenda,” Hake told the media.
“He wants to topple the government led by Fadnavis. I say this with full responsibility that just like opposition, Ajit Pawar’s MLAs are also with him to topple this government. This is a plot to destabilise and change the government. I want to tell you that if the reservation gets accepted for Marathas under OBC, then the OBC quota will be finished,” he added further
An OBC leader from Jalna, who did not wish to be named, added, “As our leader said, Jarange’s agitation is nothing but politically motivated. But we will not accept Marathas under our OBC category. This will impact our reservation. What to do about it, whether to protest or not, everything will be clear in a day or two.”
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: Fragmented voting blocs now united by caste — how quota stir could split OBC, Maratha votes
