Jarange Patil needs ICU care but heads to Mumbai for protests. CM questions timing

Manoj Jarange Patil's blood pressure and sugar levels have plunged. He can barely pass urine, and doctors have warned that he needs urgent ICU care, and any travel to Mumbai could put his life at risk. Yet the 44-year-old Maratha-quota activist remains on the road to Mumbai after setting out from Antarwali Sarati in western Maharashtra's Jalna district, hoping to reach the state capital on September 19 to intensify his protest. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis questioned the timing of the march of the Maratha quota activist, which comes amid Ganeshotsav, Maharashtra's biggest religious festival.

Jarange Patil, whose hunger strike entered its 19th day on Wednesday, said his worsening health could force him to abandon the march but insisted that the reservation battle remained more important than what he called the "final battle".

However, a doctor, who checked him this morning, warned that Patil urgently needed to be admitted to an ICU.

Reacting to the developments, Fadnavis questioned why the agitation was being brought to Mumbai during Ganeshotsav, when the capital city and adjoining Pune witness enormous crowds and heavy police deployment. He said maintaining law and order was the police's responsibility and claimed that the government had accepted 12 of Jarange's 13 "legally valid" demands.

Jarange Patil began his latest hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati on August 29, pressing for Marathas with Kunbi genealogical records to be recognised under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. He has described the Mumbai agitation as the "final battle" for reservation and plans to continue his fast at Azad Maidan in the heart of Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police has denied Jarange Patil permission to protest, citing public safety, traffic disruption and law-and-order concerns during the Ganesh festival.DOCTORS WARN JARANGE PATIL FACES GRAVE HEALTH RISK

Jarange Patil reached Patoda in Beed district at around 11 am on Wednesday, almost 14 hours after leaving Antarwali Sarati, the village that has become the nerve centre of his Maratha quota campaign, news agency PTI reported.

Frail and struggling with a severe burning sensation in his stomach and feet, the activist was examined by a medical team led by Beed District Civil Surgeon Dr Satishkumar Solanke. Doctors found that his blood pressure and blood sugar had fallen sharply and that he was suffering from acute dehydration.

"Manoj Jarange's blood pressure and blood sugar levels have plummeted severely," Dr Solanke told PTI.

"He is suffering from acute dehydration and is minimally responsive. While we administered intravenous (IV) fluids immediately, simple saline support will not make him fit to travel. A further drop in fluid levels poses a grave risk. We are awaiting his urine analysis reports to determine the next course of action, but hospitalisation in an ICU is urgently required," the doctor added.

Jarange had produced no urine since the morning, raising fears of an electrolyte imbalance. Such an imbalance, involving essential minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, can cause weakness, muscle spasms and serious complications if untreated, according to the doctor.JARANGE PATIL SAYS MUMBAI MARCH MIGHT BE CANCELLED

The activist acknowledged that the long journey to Mumbai while fasting was taking a severe toll on his body. His convoy is scheduled to cover more than 400 kilometres through Beed, Ahilyanagar, Pune and Khopoli before reaching Mumbai.

"If I take treatment, the government becomes completely carefree. If I stop treatment, they become anxious. This tour to Mumbai is taking a toll on my health. I can continue if I'm fine, but such a long trip is not good while on a hunger strike. The tour can also be cancelled if there is no option," he said, reported PTI.

Jarange said securing a reservation for the Maratha community mattered more than completing the tour. He also asked supporters of his convoy to stay back and allow him to proceed with only a small group.

Despite this appeal, hundreds of villagers gathered along the route to greet him, slowing the convoy's progress.DEVENDRA FADNAVIS QUESTIONS MARATA QUOTA PROTEST AMID GANESH FESTIVAL

CM Fadnavis said the state expected the protest not to disrupt the Ganesh festival, one of the largest public celebrations in Mumbai and Pune. "The government expects people won't be inconvenienced and Ganeshotsav won't face any obstacles (due to protests). It is a very big festival in Mumbai and Pune and is celebrated publicly as one of the biggest Hindu festivals," he said.

The chief minister said the government had explained the legal hurdles surrounding Jarange Patil's remaining demand and warned that acting against a court order could ultimately harm the Maratha community.

Mumbai Police denied permission for an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, pointing to crowd-management, traffic and security concerns. Police rules limit protests at the ground to one day at a time and cap attendance at 5,000.

Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the Cabinet subcommittee on the Maratha reservation, urged Patil to call off the agitation and return to negotiations.

Referring to accusations that former chief minister Eknath Shinde had betrayed the Maratha community, the minister said, "If they feel that they have been betrayed, I think they should put that feeling aside."

Jarange Patil's previous Azad Maidan agitation in August 2025 brought parts of South Mumbai to a standstill as thousands of supporters arrived in the city. He ended that fast on September 2 after the government accepted six of his eight demands and began taking steps to facilitate Kunbi classification certificates. Patil now wants Marathas with Kunbi genealogical records to be recognised as Kunbis and be granted reservation under the OBC quota. The Fadnavis government says it has fulfilled 12 of his 13 legally valid demands and that the remaining one cannot be implemented without clearing judicial and constitutional hurdles. So, amid Ganeshotsav and his health failing, Jarange Patil is headed to Mumbai via Pune.- EndsPublished By: Sushim MukulPublished On: Sep 16, 2026 17:42 IST