Maratha quota protest: Jarange alleges plot to kill him during Mumbai march, even as Azad Maidan permit denied

Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil said he would not be intimidated by government investigations against him or his associates. File | Photo credit: Emmanual Yogini

Mumbai Police on Sunday (13 Sep 2026) denied Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil permission to go on an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from 19 September, even as he claimed there was a conspiracy to shoot him during his planned march to the capital.

“There is a conspiracy to shoot me during a march in Mumbai. They don’t want to kill Marathas but they want to target me,” Mr. Jarange alleged while speaking at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district as his hunger strike entered its 16th day.

“I will accept death, but I will not give up,” he said. There is still no independently verified evidence to substantiate the alleged assassination plot.

Mr. Jarange-Patil plans to continue his protest at Antarwali Sarati until September 15, when he and his supporters are scheduled to begin their march towards Mumbai. The mobilization is set to culminate in an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from September 19 as part of his renewed agitation for Marathi quota in jobs and education.

Why did the Mumbai Police refuse permission

However, the Azad Maidan police on Sunday (September 13, 2026) refused permission for the proposed open-ended protest.

Police cited restrictions on demonstrations at Azad Maidan, including rules banning indefinite hunger strikes, restrictions on the length and size of rallies, and the potential for disruption to traffic and public order.

They also mentioned the problems during previous demonstrations where movement across south Mumbai, including the CSMT area, was affected and said that the Ganeshotsav period would already place significant demands on the city’s police.

Reacting to the decision, Mr. Jarange-Patil asked how the authorities could assume that the protesters would violate the terms before the agitation even started. “Why do they think we’re going to break the rules even before the agitation begins? What law do you govern the state by?” he said.

He also questioned whether the Ganeshotsav processions would be stopped for similar reasons and claimed that the agitation in Mumbai would be conducted through peaceful and democratic means.

On Sunday (September 13, 2026), he also escalated his ongoing hunger strike, announcing that he would stop taking water, saline and medication. “Saline, water and treatment – everything has been stopped from today,” Mr Jarange-Patil said as he hardened his position after the police rebuff.

The police decision comes two days after the Bombay High Court refused to issue injunctions to stop Mr Jarange-Patil’s proposed march to Mumbai.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advaita M Sethna on Friday (September 11, 2026) refused to restrict the march only on the grounds that it could lead to law and order problems.

“Only on the basis of the arrest in the petition, we will not proceed with such a call. The state machinery is capable of handling all these situations,” the bench noted. The court also noted that the right to protest is protected in a democracy and expressed confidence that Mr. Jarange would act as a law-abiding citizen.

Referring to the court’s observations in response to the police decision, Mr. Jarange-Patil questioned why his movement was stopped when the Supreme Court itself refused to ban the march.

Accusations of trying to weaken the agitation

Mr. Jarange-Patil also accused the state government of trying to weaken the agitation and alleged that efforts were being made to create trouble during the mobilization in Mumbai. He claimed that people associated with the ruling parties could be sent on the march to incite violence and create a law and order situation. The allegations have not been independently proven.

Despite these accusations, the activist has repeatedly instructed his supporters to keep the mobilization calm and avoid throwing stones, arson or other violence. He said if police barricades were preventing protesters from advancing, supporters should sit peacefully instead of trying to fight their way through.

The renewed agitation centers on Mr. Jarange’s demand that eligible members of the Maratha community be issued Kunbi caste certificates based on historical and official records, enabling them to access reservation benefits available to Kunbis under the Other Backward Classes category.

Published – 13 Sep 2026 16:55 IST