Manoj Jarange Patil heads to Mumbai to press reservation stir at Azad Maidan
The Maratha quota activist left his hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati for Mumbai, saying he will not stop until reservation is granted.
The agitation for Maratha reservation has intensified once again. Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil has left his ongoing hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati and set out for Mumbai. He intends to reach Azad Maidan in Mumbai and stage his agitation there. While leaving Antarwali Sarati, Jarange Patil became emotional, and tears welled up in his eyes as soon as he got into the vehicle.
Speaking to the media, Jarange Patil took aim at the government and stated his position clearly. He said, "Nothing matters more to me than the children of my community. My community's children are in trouble, and I am going for their welfare." He also made clear that he is not going to back down from the agitation.
He further said, "The government thinks I will bow before them, but I cannot betray my community by abandoning its children midway. I think they will kill me, which is why I am going to Azad Maidan. I will not let my community suffer. I will fight and die." In this way, Jarange Patil reiterated his aggressive stance.
While leaving for Mumbai, he also appealed to the agitators to maintain peace. He said, "We must place our trust in the goddess of justice and treat that as our permission." Along with this, he advised the community to exercise restraint and said that the community should be given more importance than any party.
He reiterated, "I will sit at Azad Maidan. I will not stop until reservation is granted." His tears did not stop as he said this, making the moment of his departure from Antarwali Sarati highly emotional.
Jarange Patil has once again applied to the Mumbai Police for permission to hold the agitation in Mumbai. This is the third such application, after permission was denied twice before. The application seeks permission for 50 people to take part in the agitation.
The application also states that the rules and conditions set by the police for the agitation will be followed. It further states that the agitation will be held within the time frame fixed for 18 September.
However, since it is currently the Ganeshotsav period, there is uncertainty over whether permission will be granted, given the possibility of law and order concerns. The Maratha community and the entire state are now watching what decision the Mumbai Police takes on Jarange Patil's agitation.
