Manoj Jarange said the protest will continue until the demands for OBC reservation and Kunbi certificates are addressed. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has confirmed that his proposed march to Mumbai will go ahead, with the date of the mobilisation set to be announced after supporters gather at his protest site on September 12.Jarange, whose indefinite hunger strike over Maratha reservation entered its 13th day on Thursday, said he was not waiting for a delegation from the state government to visit the protest venue. Speaking to reporters at Antarwali Sarati in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, where he has been staging the fast, Jarange said, “I am definitely going to Mumbai. Once we assemble on September 12, we will announce the date.”

The activist has been demanding reservation for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. His demands also include the implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records and the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members of the Maratha community. Amid concerns over his health during the prolonged hunger strike, Jarange said he would monitor the camps being organised to issue Kunbi certificates. He said the community would assess whether the camps were being conducted effectively and whether their establishment was linked to the ongoing agitation.“We have to respond according to the situation.

Let us see how the camps for Kunbi certificates are conducted,” Jarange said. On Wednesday, Jarange had accused Maharashtra minister and Maratha quota sub-committee chairman Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil of misleading the community through assurances without concrete action. He had also warned that he would take the agitation to Mumbai after September 12 if his demands were not addressed.Jarange also criticised Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat, alleging that his relationship with Shinde had deteriorated because of Shirsat’s role. “I had spoken respectfully about Eknath Shinde for three years. But he is now speaking in favour of a party and not the community,” he alleged.Maintaining that his agitation is focused on the interests of the Maratha community rather than any political party, Jarange said he would continue to raise concerns over what he described as mistakes by the chief minister and deputy chief ministers. “I will speak for the community, not for any political party,” he said.