Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil has relaunched his agitation, demanding the cancellation of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde's Parbhani event. He criticized Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Jadhav and reiterated his demand for Kunbi caste certificates.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who has again launched his agitation citing unfulfilled demands, has called for cancellation of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's event in Parbhani.

Addressing reporters in Parbhani on the second day of his protest, Jarange Patil lashed out at Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Jadhav, who recently switched from the UBT faction. "He has been chosen to work for the Marathi people. Keep this in mind. You were asked to cancel the event, but you did not do so. This is your biggest mistake. Your existence was not to hold programs, but to take care of the Maratha community. Now your politics have become obsolete. I am asking Eknath Shinde to cancel the program, or we will answer back," he said.

Core Demand and History of Protests

Patil has demanded Kunbi caste certificates for the Maratha community to get reservation under the OBC category, as per the Hyderabad Gazette.

Claiming that the demand for Kunbi caste certificates remained unfulfilled, he has again launched his agitation a year after massive protests in Mumbai. On September 2, 2025, Patil ended his indefinite fast at Azad Maidan in Mumbai after accepting the Government Resolution (GR) presented by the Maharashtra cabinet sub-committee on the Maratha quota, as he broke down in tears, calling it a "Diwali" for the community. The government subsequently issued a GR on implementing the demand for Kunbi certificates as per the Hyderabad Gazette.

He sat on a 15-hour-long indefinite hunger strike in May 2026, which he had launched to intensify pressure on the Maharashtra government. Jarange Patil eventually broke his fast in the presence of Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Chairman of the Maratha Reservation Sub-Committee, after the state government showcased a positive stance related to his previous pending demands for the Maratha community.

The activist has repeatedly cited the 58 lakh figure as per the Hyderabad Gazette and alleged that the government has failed to issue caste certificates to families of these individuals. (ANI)

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