A tragic incident cast a shadow over Manoj Jarange Patil’s ongoing Maratha reservation march when a protester, Satish Deshmukh, died of a heart attack near Junnar. Earlier today (August 28), the rally reached Fort Shivneri — the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. There, Manoj Jarange Patil paid tribute by applying the sacred soil of Shivneri to his forehead before continuing his journey toward Mumbai. His mission: to lead an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, demanding reservation for the Maratha community.
The rally began yesterday (August 27) from Antarwali Sarati, with thousands of vehicles joining the procession. This morning, the massive convoy passed through Manchar and is now moving toward Chakan. It was during this leg of the journey that Satish Deshmukh, an active participant in the rally, suffered a fatal heart attack.
The sheer scale of the rally has turned the Pune-Nashik and Chakan-Talegaon highways into a sea of saffron, with thousands of Maratha youth marching in solidarity. Along the route, the Maratha community from Khed Taluka has come together to provide food, tea, snacks, water, and other essentials for the rally participants. To avoid major traffic disruptions, local authorities have declared holidays for schools in Chakan and nearby areas. Additionally, industrial buses and heavy vehicles have been barred from these routes, with diversions put in place to ease congestion.Jarange has been leading the campaign demanding that all Marathas be recognised as Kunbis — an agrarian caste included in the OBC category — thereby making them eligible for reservation in education and government jobs. He said the state government's move to include 29 castes in the OBC category has provoked the Maratha community.