Maharashtra minister urges Jarange to call off planned quota agitation in Mumbai during Ganesh fest
Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Wednesday urged Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange to call off his proposed agitation in Mumbai during the ongoing Ganesh festival, saying the reservation issue can be resolved through dialogue.
“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,” Vikhe Patil said.
The Water Resources Minister, who heads the state government's cabinet sub-committee on the Maratha reservation issue, said the government was ready to hold discussions with the community and its representatives whenever required.
Vikhe Patil also referred to criticism of former chief minister Eknath Shinde by some members of the Maratha community, who have alleged that he “betrayed” them after they placed their trust in him.
“If they feel that they have been betrayed, I think they should put that feeling aside,” he said, asserting that Shinde had taken considerable initiative on the reservation issue.
Vikhe Patil claimed that around 5,500 children had been given an opportunity at the time despite the possibility of contempt of court proceedings, and that the process for the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category was also initiated.
“Many things were done. I don't think the community gains anything by feeling that it has been betrayed,” he said.
He said the government had introduced several schemes while respecting the sentiments of the community and had kept the door open for further discussions.
“Our only expectation is that devotees should not face inconvenience during Ganeshotsav. They are going to travel from Pune to Mumbai, and we do not want any untoward incident to take place,” Vikhe Patil said.
He appealed to Jarange to suspend his agitation in view of the festival.
Jarange, whose fast entered its 19th day on Wednesday, reached Patoda in Maharashtra's Beed district around 11 am, nearly 14 hours after leaving Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district.
He is scheduled to reach Mumbai on September 19 after travelling through Ahilyanagar, Pune and Khopoli in Raigad district.
Last year, Jarange's hunger strike at Azad Maidan brought parts of south Mumbai to a standstill as thousands of supporters gathered in the city. The agitation was called off on September 2, 2025, after the government accepted six of his eight demands and initiated steps for issuing Kunbi classification certificates.
The BJP-led state government has taken a firm position this time. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the police and questioned the need to hold the agitation during the Ganesh festival.
