The Mumbai Police denied permission to Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil to hold an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from September 19 citing concerns over crowd management, public safety, traffic disruption and the upcoming Ganesh festival.

Jarange Patil remained firm on going ahead with the protest. “We have decided to protest democratically on September 19. We will depart from Antarwali-Sarati on September 15 and will launch a peaceful indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai,” Jarange said.

He refused medical treatment, including intravenous fluids, at Antarwali-Sarati in Jalna district, where he has been fasting for the past 16 days.

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Police have cited the Maharashtra Government’s 2025 rules governing public meetings, agitations and protests while rejecting Manoj Jarange Patil’s proposed hunger strike. Under the rules, permission for an agitation is limited to one day at a time, with restrictions on its duration and location.

The guidelines prescribe a maximum capacity of 5,000 protesters at Azad Maidan and need organisers to comply with conditions regarding vehicles, traffic movement and public safety. Protesters are prohibited from taking unauthorised marches or obstructing public places. Police said Jarange Patil’s 2025 agitation violated several of these conditions.

In a five-page letter addressed to Jarange Patil, the Azad Maidan police said, “The massive influx of devotees makes the metropolis a persistent target for anti-social elements during the festive period”. It added extensive security protocols, surveillance and specialised crowd-management measures had been deployed across key areas of the city during the Ganesh festival

Jarange alleged a conspiracy to create chaos during the march and target his life. Jarange said, “The ruling party operatives might infiltrate the rally to instigate violence. There is a plot to shoot me during the march. They don’t want to kill the Marathas; they want to target me.”