Manoj Jarange halts Mumbai march amid health deterioration during hunger strike

Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange halted his Mumbai march in Beed after his health deteriorated during a hunger strike. Doctors said his condition was under monitoring, while Maharashtra ministers urged him to withdraw the protest and hold talks with the government

Beed (Maharashtra): Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday halted his journey to Mumbai at Patoda town in Beed district where he is undergoing treatment for the health complications arising out of his ongoing hunger strike.

It was not clear whether he would continue his journey to Maharashtra’s capital where he planned to continue his protest. Earlier in the day, the activist had said he might have to call off his plan to take his protest to Mumbai because of his deteriorating health.

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Senior Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil appealed to him to call off his protest, stating that the government was ready for talks.

Jarange, who reached Patoda in the early hours of the morning on the 19th day of his hunger strike, was receiving medical attention at a house adjacent to the government rural hospital, Beed District Civil Surgeon Dr Satishkumar Solanke said.

“His blood pressure and blood sugar levels had dropped significantly, and he was suffering from dehydration. However, his condition is currently out of danger, and a team of doctors is continuously monitoring his health,” Dr Solanke said.

The 44-year-old activist set out for Mumbai from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, more than 400 km away, with a convoy of cars on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference at Patoda in the morning, he said he had a severe burning sensation in the stomach and feet.

“If I take treatment, the government becomes completely carefree. If I stop treatment, they become anxious. This tour to Mumbai is taking a toll on my health. I can continue if I’m fine, but such a long travel is not good while on a hunger strike. The tour can also be cancelled if there is no option,” he said. He also appealed to his supporters to let him go to Mumbai alone.

Mumbai Police have denied permission to Jarange, who has been demanding reservation in the OBC quota for the Marathas with the Kunbi caste genealogy, to take his ongoing protest to Azad Maidan. Police cited law and order concerns amid the Ganesh festival for rejecting his application.

A medical team led by Dr Solanke examined Jarange after his arrival in Patoda, and warned that his condition was critical. A simple saline support would not make him fit to travel and he needed urgent hospitalisation, Dr Solanke had said.

Last year, Jarange’s hunger strike at Azad Maidan had brought south Mumbai to a standstill as thousands of his supporters poured into the city. The stir was called off on September 2, 2025, after the government accepted six of his eight demands and initiated steps for Kunbi classification certificates.

This time, however, the BJP-led state government has adopted a stern approach.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday that maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the police. He also questioned the need to stage the agitation during the Ganesh festival.

The government had accepted 12 of the 13 “legally valid” demands raised by Maratha protesters, Fadnavis said.

Jarange was scheduled to reach Mumbai on September 19 after passing through Ahilyanagar, Pune and Khopoli in Raigad district.

Minister Vikhe Patil, who heads a cabinet sub-committee on the Maratha reservation issue, urged the activist to call off his Mumbai protest in view of the Ganesh festival.

“There is absolutely no plan to use force to stop the agitation. The issue can be resolved through dialogue and discussion. We are talking to those who have studied the quota issue,” he said.

The government was ready for discussions with the community and its representatives, he added.

Ashish Shelar, another minister, said 13 of the 14 demands made so far by the activist have been fulfilled by the Devendra Fadnavis government.

“You (Jarange) should take care of your health. We are concerned about your health. We fear the agitation will create obstruction in Hindu festivals. The Ganesh festival is being celebrated across the state with fanfare. A large number of devotees throng Pune and Mumbai. Even the Maratha community does not want (obstruction in festivities). You should also not do it. This our request as well as instruction to Manoj ji (to put off the stir),” he said.

He also said there was no rationale for Jarange’s current demand of providing reservation under the OBC category for the Marathas with the Kunbi caste genealogy.

Criticism of the BJP-led Mahayuti government (by Jarange and his supporters) was welcome, but use of derogatory words against the Chief Minister or his deputies was unacceptable, Shelar further said.