Day 2 of Maratha quota protest: Jarange agency on Kunbi certificates demand, warns of march to Mumbai

Activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday (August 30, 2026) stood agency on his demand for Kunbi caste certificates for all Marathas as his indefinite starvation strike entered the second day, warning that he would march to Mumbai if the Maharashtra authorities did not act.

Mr. Jarange launched his eleventh indefinite quick over Maratha reservation-related calls for at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on Saturday (August 29), the place hundreds of group members have gathered to assist his agitation.

He has been demanding that eligible Marathas be recognised as Kunbis, an agrarian group that enjoys reservation advantages in schooling and authorities jobs underneath the Different Backward Class (OBC) class.

“The Maharashtra authorities ought to declare all Marathas as Kunbi,” the activist advised reporters on the second day of his agitation.

Mr. Jarange stated that if the federal government failed to simply accept the calls for, he would march to Mumbai and intensify the agitation.

Core committee assembly on Sept. 12

A gathering of the Maratha group’s core committee, led by him, could be held in Antarwali Sarati on September 12 to resolve on a starvation strike in Mumbai.

“If the federal government accepts our calls for by September 12, there can be no want to carry the proposed quick in Mumbai,” the activist stated.

Mr. Jarange is demanding instant issuance of Kunbi certificates to eligible members of the Maratha group primarily based on 58 lakh historic information, asserting that the group is not going to grant any additional time.

He has additionally demanded that caste certificates verification be suspended, arguing that there is no such thing as a want for it in circumstances lined by the historic information.

The activist has urged the State authorities to challenge reservation primarily based on the Satara Gazette, withdraw all police circumstances registered towards quota protesters throughout Maharashtra, and supply authorities jobs and monetary compensation to the households of those that died throughout the earlier agitations.

Mr. Jarange additionally demanded the instant cancellation of a farmer and youth programme scheduled to be held in Parbhani within the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde later within the day, warning that he would attend the occasion if it isn’t referred to as off.

Jarange criticises Jadhav

The programme has been organised by Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav, who not too long ago joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. A number of native leaders and office-bearers related to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) are additionally anticipated to affix the Shinde faction on the occasion.

The activist stated that he spoke to Mr. Jadhav over the cellphone, asking him to cancel the programme and warning that he would attend the occasion if it isn’t referred to as off.

He alleged that certificates of Maratha group members had been cancelled and he wouldn’t stay silent over the difficulty.

“I by no means go to assault anybody. However our Maratha group’s rightful certificates have been cancelled. Therefore, cancel the programme instantly; in any other case I’ll come there,” he stated.

Mr. Jarange additionally criticised Mr. Jadhav and warned that the state of affairs may change into tense if he went forward with the programme.

“If I come there, they are going to face issues. The State will change into unstable once more, and the blame will fall on you,” he stated in a warning to the organisers.

Caste verification committees

In the meantime, Maratha Kranti Morcha State coordinator Dr. Sanjay Lakhe Patil claimed Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil had recommended that caste verification committees had been pointless as such our bodies didn’t exist elsewhere within the nation.

This might create confusion and resentment amongst Maratha youth and members of different communities, Dr. Lakhe Patil advised PTI.

Calling the reported suggestion “stunning, unconstitutional and unlawful”, he stated the idea of caste scrutiny committees was not confined to Maharashtra, referring to a Supreme Courtroom judgment wherein instructions had been issued for organising impartial scrutiny committees to confirm caste and tribal certificates.

He stated the verification mechanism was meant to forestall the misuse of reservation by folks producing false caste certificates and to make sure that quota advantages reached real individuals.

Dr. Lakhe Patil warned that any try and abolish caste verification committees may face authorized challenges, saying the difficulty involved the reservation rights of individuals belonging to varied castes and tribes and was not restricted to the Maratha group.

On August 25, the State authorities gave a one-year extension to the committee to scrutinise Kunbi information of the Maratha group.

The time period of the committee, headed by retired Bombay Excessive Courtroom Choose Sandeep Shinde — which ended on June 30, 2026 — has been prolonged by a 12 months until June 30, 2027, in accordance with a authorities decision (GR) dated August 25.

The multi-member panel was fashioned in September 2023 to resolve the methodology for issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha group members, enabling them to hunt reservation in authorities jobs and schooling underneath the OBC class.

The GR stated the work to hint the Maratha-Kunbi family tree remains to be not full in some districts, and accordingly the panel wanted to be given extra time to complete its process.

Printed – August 30, 2026 02:47 pm IST