Stalemate continues

Jarange gets yet another day’s extension; issues ultimatum till Sunday morning as talks fail

Mumbai: The stalemate continued over the Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, for reservation to Maratha community from OBC quota, on as the talks between the agitators and the high power committee under Justice (Retired) Sandeep Shinde failed on Saturday. While state government reiterated its willingness to resolve the issue within constitutional framework, Jarange-Patil gave an ultimatum till Sunday Morning to the government to announce the decision in favour of the Maratha quota activists.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai police extended the permission granted to Jarage-Patil to continue his agitation at Azad Maidan for yet another day even as the crowds continued to swell in South Mumbai leading to traffic disruptions in South and Central Mumbai.

In the morning, the state government extended the tenure of the lineage committees constituted under the Tahasildars at Taluka Levels till June 30, 2026. Social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat made the announcement in this regard. “The GR has been issued to extend the tenure of the committees that are primarily formed on January 25, 2024 to give Kunbi, Kunbi-Maratha caste certificates and caste validations certificates to the eligible individuals,” the minister said. The tenure of the committees had expired on June 30, 2025. After the high powered committee under Justice (Retired) Sandeep Shinde was given an extension on Friday, this committee too was given an extension in wake of Jarage-Patil’s agitation as a token of positive efforts from the state government.

Sub-committee meets

The cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation headed by water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil too held a meeting on Saturday and after the meeting the minister said that the committee has taken a few decisions, which will be communicated to Jarange-Patil. Accordingly, Sandeep Shinde along with the divisional commissioner met Jarange-Patil at Azad Maidan and tried to negotiate mutually acceptable way out of the stalemate. The delegation primarily sought six months’ time to resolve the legal tangle around the issue and implement the solutions. Jarange-Patil, however, was firm that that the government should issue a resolution proclaiming that all Marathas are Kunbis by Sunday morning. Such a resolution will help Marathas get reservation under OBC quota as Kunbis fall under the OBC category.

Traffic advisory

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Mumbai traffic police issued an advisory asking people not to take the Eastern Freeway, which was still witnessing gridlocks, as Maratha protesters used the route to reach Azad Maidan, the venue of Jarange-Patil’s protest.

On Friday, the freeway was completely out of bounds for citizens as traffic was blocked, leading to a cascading effect on the Eastern Express Highway and the Atal Setu, which also witnessed traffic snarls.

There were massive traffic jams at the north end of the freeway in Chembur as well, leading the police to close down a few roads to stop protesters from taking the freeway.

Jarange-Patil, who began an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan on Friday morning over his demand for quota benefits for the Maratha community, had said earlier that he “would not back down this time”. “We will not leave Mumbai until our demands are met,” he had asserted.

"We will not decide to merely please someone, which will have a backlash in future, but will find a solution within the constitutional framework. These are decisions taken by me and Eknath Shinde. I gave the reservation first. The state government also strengthened the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation so much that we have created one and a half lakh entrepreneurs. We have been able to create Maratha youth who are not job seekers but job providers."

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister