Touch Jarange and all of Maharashtra will show up here, Deepke warns government
Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Deepke met Manoj Jarange-Patil and demanded the government start talks at once as his fast entered its 14th day.
Manoj Jarange-Patil's hunger strike over the Maratha reservation and other demands, which began on August 29 at Antarwali Sarati, entered its 14th day today, September 21, 2026. Amid this, Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Deepke arrived at Antarwali Sarati and met Jarange-Patil. After the meeting, he attacked the government's attitude and demanded that talks with Jarange begin immediately.
Deepke alleged that 14 days into Jarange's fast, no one from the government had even come to ask after his health. He said elected public representatives meet everyone, so what was stopping the government from talking to Jarange. He asked whether the government would leave a man like Jarange, who is fighting for his community, in this condition.
Deepke also raised the question of education and employment in villages alongside the Maratha reservation issue. He said that if villages had good education and adequate employment opportunities, there would have been no need for Jarange to go on a hunger strike. He said the government had never taken the issues of education and employment in rural areas seriously, and it needed to understand why Jarange was demanding reservation in the first place.
Deepke cited the movement of social activist Sonam Wangchuk to issue a direct warning to the government. Referring to Wangchuk's detention by police during his agitation in Delhi, Deepke said no such action should be attempted against Jarange. He said, "This is Maharashtra, this will not be tolerated here at all. If anyone touches Manoj Jarange, all of Maharashtra will come here."
Deepke demanded that the government itself come to Antarwali Sarati to hear Jarange's demands. He said sarcastically that the public had elected its representatives to do their job, not to travel around in helicopters. He said Jarange was fighting for the community and had every right to protest, so the government should not ignore the agitation and should find a way forward through talks.
With Jarange's hunger strike extending further, the Maratha reservation issue has once again come to the centre of state politics. Several organisations and leaders are supporting Jarange's agitation, and all eyes are on what stance the government takes next and whether it initiates talks with Jarange.
