Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange alleges plot to shoot him during Mumbai march

The Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil has claimed there is a conspiracy to assassinate him during his upcoming protest march to Mumbai.

Speaking from his protest site in the village of Antarwali Sarati in Maharashtra’s Jalna district on Sunday, Jarange alleged that people linked to the state’s ruling parties plan to infiltrate the march, trigger violence, and shoot him.

"There is a conspiracy to shoot me during the march," Jarange told supporters and journalists. "They do not want to kill Marathas, but want to target me. I will accept death, but I will not surrender."

His hunger strike entered its 16th day on Sunday. The activist announced that he and his followers will set out for Mumbai on 15 September, arriving in the capital on 19 September to start an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan. The demonstration is timed to coincide with the Ganpati festival, which runs from 14 to 25 September.

Jarange pointed fingers at the state's leadership, accusing Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde of plotting against him. He also claimed that Maratha legislators from the BJP and Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena have been calling his supporters to pressure them into staying away from the march.

The state government has eight days to resolve the quota dispute before the Mumbai protest begins, Jarange said, warning that his supporters could politically challenge ministers if they are pushed too far. "We will have to respond when someone steps on the tail of a snake," he said.

In an emotional address, Jarange urged his followers to join him in Mumbai, saying they should be prepared to march behind his funeral procession if the worst were to happen. He maintained that the protest would remain peaceful and democratic, and noted that recent rains had helped local farmers finish their fieldwork, freeing them up to travel.

The core of the dispute lies in Jarange's demand for a government resolution that would allow Marathas to claim reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category by registering as Kunbi Marathas. He claims that 58 lakh Kunbi records have been found, which should entitle eligible Marathas to the certificates.

This demand has faced fierce pushback from OBC groups, who argue that admitting Marathas into their quota category will dilute their own share of benefits.

Jarange said his organisers have submitted a formal application for the protest and are willing to accept government conditions. He recalled that he had trusted Shinde in January 2024 when he called off a march to Mumbai after a government resolution was issued, but suggested that trust had now evaporated. He also insisted he would not be intimidated by any state inquiries into his activities or those of his associates.

The state’s attempt to halt the protest fell short on Friday when the Bombay High Court declined to issue an urgent restraining order against Jarange’s planned march. The court ruled that citizens have a right to protest and that an injunction cannot be granted simply based on the apprehension of law and order problems.

A similar hunger strike by Jarange at Azad Maidan in August last year led to widespread disruption in Mumbai before being called off when the government agreed to several of his demands.