Manoj Jarange may cancel Mumbai march as health worsens

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange said his Mumbai march could be cancelled as his health deteriorated during his 19th day of hunger strike. Doctors reported severe dehydration, low blood pressure and blood sugar, and advised urgent ICU hospitalisation

Beed (Maharashtra): With doctors stating that he needs immediate hospitalisation, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, who is on his way to Mumbai, said on Wednesday that his tour might be cancelled due to health issues arising from his ongoing hunger strike.

His blood pressure and blood sugar levels were very low, and he was suffering from acute dehydration, a government doctor said.

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Jarange, whose fast entered its 19th day on Wednesday, reached Patoda in Maharashtra’s Beed district at around 11 am, nearly 14 hours after setting out from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, more than 400 km from Mumbai.

Addressing a press conference, the 44-year-old activist said he had a severe burning sensation in his 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 long travel is not good while on a hunger strike. The tour can also be cancelled if there is no option,” he said.

Mumbai Police have denied permission to Jarange, who has been demanding reservation for the Marathas under the OBC quota based on 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.

Undeterred, Jarange on Tuesday set out for the Maharashtra capital in a convoy of cars.

“Reservation for the Marathas is more important than the tour, which seems impossible because of the burning sensation in my stomach and feet,” he told the crowd in Patoda on Wednesday.

Jarange also appealed to his supporters to let him go to Mumbai alone.

“No vehicle should follow me from Patoda. Please let me go alone. If they continue to follow me, I will change my route and go to Mumbai. I will only keep the police informed. If I am not allowed to enter Mumbai, then you all can come,” he said.

A medical team led by Beed District Civil Surgeon Dr Satishkumar Solanke examined Jarange in Patoda and warned that his condition was critical.

“Manoj Jarange’s blood pressure and blood sugar levels have plummeted severely,” Dr Solanke said.

“He is suffering from acute dehydration and is minimally responsive. While we administered intravenous (IV) fluids immediately, simple saline support will not make him fit to travel. A further drop in fluid levels poses a grave risk. We are awaiting his urine analysis reports to determine the next course of action, but hospitalisation in an ICU is urgently required,” the doctor said.

Jarange had no urine output since morning, and his condition could cause an electrolyte imbalance, Dr Solanke further said.

An electrolyte imbalance occurs when the levels of essential minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium in the blood become too high or too low. Symptoms include weakness and muscle spasms. If untreated, it can cause serious health complications.

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.

According to the original itinerary, he was to depart Patoda at 11 am on Wednesday.