Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange began travelling from Jalna district towards Mumbai on Wednesday despite the reported denial of police permission for a hunger strike at Azad Maidan, setting up a major security and traffic-management challenge during the Ganeshotsav period.
Jarange, who has been on hunger strike for 17 days over reservations for Maratha community members with Kunbi genealogical records under the Other Backward Classes quota, left Antarwali Sarati village with a small convoy. His earlier plan to mobilise people from different parts of Maharashtra was scaled down, and he is now travelling with around five to 10 associates under heavy security, according to the report.
The convoy reached Beed district through a bridge over the Godavari river at around 8.30 pm on Tuesday and received support from villagers in Gevrai and Beed city. It later reached Patoda, where an overnight halt had been planned. Jarange was reported to appear physically weak and was seated in the front of a vehicle. He underwent a health check-up in the morning before beginning the next stage of the journey.
The reported route to Mumbai passes through Patoda in Beed, Shrigonda in Ahilyanagar, Hadapsar in Pune and Khopoli in Raigad. The convoy is expected to reach Azad Maidan on September 19 after covering more than 400 kilometres. Police have strengthened security along the Antarwali Sarati-Shahgarh route and at other sensitive points along the journey.
Officials said the security deployment includes three sub-divisional police officers, 10 inspectors, 30 assistant or sub-inspectors, 300 police personnel and 265 home guards. Jarange is travelling with two SUVs and two ambulances. His security detail also includes two bodyguards provided by Jalna Police and personnel from the additional Special Protection Unit of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Mumbai Police had reportedly refused permission for a protest at Azad Maidan during Ganeshotsav, citing law-and-order concerns. Jarange referred to a Bombay High Court decision and said the court had not barred him from protesting in Mumbai. The report did not provide the text of the court order or clarify the precise conditions governing any demonstration at Azad Maidan.
Jarange also repeated allegations that there was a conspiracy to kill him. These allegations were not independently established in the report. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other ministers have repeatedly appealed to him to end his hunger strike, saying the government is ready for discussions and will accept demands that are legally valid.
Fadnavis said the government expected the movement not to inconvenience Mumbai residents or disrupt Ganeshotsav celebrations. The convoy’s planned passage through Beed, Ahilyanagar, Pune and Raigad places the immediate operational focus on route security, crowd control and traffic management before its scheduled arrival in Mumbai on September 19.
