Manoj Jarange alleges conspiracy to kill him ahead of Maratha quota march

Activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Sunday alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill him and create trouble during his proposed march to Mumbai over Maratha reservation, but said he would not back down.

Addressing supporters and the media, Jarange claimed that people linked to the ruling parties could be sent into the march to trigger violence and target him.

“There is a conspiracy to shoot me during the march. They do not want to kill Marathas, but want to target me,” he alleged. “I will accept death, but I will not surrender.”

Jarange, whose hunger strike entered its 16th day on Sunday, said the government had eight days to resolve the issue before the planned agitation in Mumbai.

He and his supporters are scheduled to leave Antarwali Sarati on September 15 and reach Mumbai on September 19. Jarange plans to begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan at 10 am that day, demanding reservation for Marathas in education and government jobs.

The mobilisation will take place during the Ganpati festivities, scheduled from September 14 to 25.

Targeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Jarange alleged that those in power were plotting against him. He also claimed that some Maratha MLAs from the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena were calling his supporters and asking them not to join the march.

Jarange urged those who were afraid to stay away but made an emotional appeal to others to join the mobilisation and, if necessary, even his funeral procession.

He maintained that the protest would be peaceful and democratic. Jarange said an application seeking permission had been submitted and that the government could impose conditions on the agitation.

“We believe in the law and the judiciary. I am going to Mumbai. What is my mistake? Am I violating the law? If you want to impose conditions, impose them,” he said.

Recalling his earlier negotiations with the government, Jarange said he had trusted Shinde and returned from Vashi in January 2024 after the government issued a resolution concerning the quota demands. He added that government inquiries against him or his associates would not intimidate him.

One of Jarange’s principal demands is a government resolution allowing Marathas to claim the reservation available to the Kunbi community under the Other Backward Classes category based on old records and gazette documents.

He claimed that 58 lakh Kunbi records had been found and demanded that certificates be issued to eligible Marathas. OBC groups have opposed the demand, arguing that it would reduce their share of reservation benefits.

On Friday, the Bombay High Court refused to issue an urgent order on a petition seeking to stop Jarange’s latest Mumbai protest. The court said every person had the right to protest and that a restraining order could not be issued merely on the apprehension of a law-and-order problem.

Jarange had launched an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan on August 29 last year. The protest led to disruption in parts of Mumbai before he called it off after the government accepted some of his demands.