Manoj Jarange Patil advances Mumbai march, dares government to stop him

Mumbai: In a change of plans, Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil has decided to reach Mumbai earlier than scheduled to begin his stir seeking OBC reservation for the Maratha community. This comes at a time when the Maharashtra government has tried to reach out to him by sending him a 'draft' to resolve the stir.

On Wednesday, Jarange Patil said he would be reaching Mumbai on September 18 and dared the government to stop him. "I want to see who stops me from entering Mumbai. Then, I will call Marathas en masse to come and join my stir... crores of people (Maratha) people will come if I call them. However, I am not doing it now. The government is sending a draft following which I will take a call."

Warning the government against taking action on the protestors, Jarange Patil said, "If there is a lathi charge on the protesters, then this government will fall. The Marathas are very angry." Referring to CM Devendra Fadnavis's public statement asking him to withdraw his hunger strike which entered the 19th day on Wednesday, due to concerns over his health, he said, "If you (Fadnavis) are saying that my health is important, then resolve the issues raised by us." "If he wants Maratha votes, then the CM should issue an order and give a time-bound plan on issuing Kunbi caste certificates to our 58 lakh people. It is now up to him to decide whether he wants the state to become unstable or not. I am willing to go to any extent to help the Maratha community. If the situation turns untoward, then the government will be responsible," he said.


Jarange's warning comes after there were concerns over his health after he fell unconscious earlier in the day and government doctors immediately administered intravenous fluids and advised immediate hospitalisation. Jarange however claimed that he was keen on going to Mumbai and was willing to sacrifice his life for his community's cause. "If this continues like this, then I might die in another eight days. Let me go and die in Mumbai. Only after a sacrifice is given will the community get its due. I am willing to die so that the children of the community can prosper," he said.

Jarange Patil had wanted to fast in Mumbai's Azad Maidan along with his followers. However, the Mumbai police refused permission claiming that the agitation during the Ganesh festival in Mumbai could inconvenience devotees and cause law and order problems.

The Maharashtra government has claimed that it has already accepted 12 of the 13 demands raised by Jarange Patil.