Maratha activist Manoj Jarange has suspended his hunger strike but issued a strong warning to the government about the demands of the Maratha community. He declared, “Devendra Fadnavis will not betray the Marathas. He will accept our demands; if he doesn’t, we will soon announce our march to Mumbai. This time, we will not leave until our demands are met. We must protect our children; if they are harmed, there will be consequences for the MLAs and MPs. Once the Marathas decide on a course of action, they will not back down.”
Jarange expressed his frustration with the government's inaction, stating, “I have been patient for two and a half years. I am suspending my hunger strike today. Now, we are prepared to confront the government directly. I asked Fadnavis for a response, but he gave me nothing. Will he address our eight demands? If our demands are ignored, I will not allow the government to rest. If you meet our demands, the community will celebrate with you.” He made it clear that if the government does not respond, he will set a date for their protest in Mumbai. He mentioned that he had fasted for six days to advocate for Maratha reservation and expressed disappointment over the slow progress. “We fasted together for our demands. I didn’t expect this process to take so long, but the government and the Chief Minister are delaying action. The committee to search for Kunbi records was not extended, and the genealogy committee was dismissed. Promises to withdraw cases have not been fulfilled, and the gazettes for Satara and Hyderabad have not been implemented,” he said.
He also criticized the Shinde committee for its ineffective attempts to locate Maratha records and questioned the government’s commitment, especially after extending the committee’s term without achieving results. He urged scholars to help the committee in its search for records.
In a strong statement, Patil stressed the urgency of fulfilling the Maratha reservation demands. “Ministers and MLAs should face consequences...Ensure that the status of children admitted through EWS is maintained. Some families who sacrificed for Maratha reservation have not received the promised Rs 10 lakh. The implementation must be seamless,” he asserted. He also called for any objections to the reservation to be addressed and resolved within the next 2-3 months. Manoj Jarange warned that if their demands are ignored and access to Mumbai is denied, the situation could escalate. “Once we go to Mumbai, we will not return until our demands are implemented. If we are blocked, there will be repercussions for the ministers and MLAs. We must plan our march to Mumbai carefully,” he concluded.