Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday indicated that his planned march to Mumbai could be called off as his health deteriorated during his ongoing hunger strike, with doctors advising urgent hospitalisation.
Jarange, whose fast entered its 19th day, was examined by a medical team in Patoda in Beed district after reaching the town around 11 am. Doctors said his blood pressure and blood sugar levels had fallen sharply and that he was suffering from acute dehydration.
Beed District Civil Surgeon Dr Satishkumar Solanke said Jarange was minimally responsive and required urgent intensive care. According to the doctor, intravenous fluids had been administered, but this alone would not make Jarange fit to continue travelling. Doctors were also awaiting urine-analysis reports to determine the next course of treatment.
Jarange said the prolonged journey was taking a toll on his health and acknowledged that the Mumbai march could be cancelled if his condition did not permit him to continue.
“If I am fine, I can continue, but such long travel is not good while on a hunger strike,” he said.
Jarange began travelling towards Mumbai on Tuesday from Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district, despite Mumbai Police denying permission for him to take his protest to Azad Maidan. Police cited law-and-order concerns during the Ganesh festival.
The activist is seeking reservation for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota based on Kunbi caste records. The state government has said that several demands raised by Maratha protesters have been accepted or acted upon.
On Wednesday, Jarange also appealed to his supporters not to follow him in vehicles from Patoda, asking them to allow him to travel alone. He said that if he was prevented from entering Mumbai, his supporters could then proceed to the city.
His original itinerary envisaged reaching Mumbai on September 19 after travelling through Ahilyanagar, Pune and Khopoli in Raigad district.
The latest protest comes a year after Jarange's hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, which drew thousands of supporters. That agitation ended on September 2, 2025, after the government accepted six of his eight demands and initiated steps related to Kunbi classification certificates.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the police and questioned the need for the latest agitation during the Ganesh festival.
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