<p>Mumbai: Seeking the blessings of Lord Ganesh and invoking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Manoj Jarange-Patil on Wednesday launched a fresh campaign seeking reservation for Marathas under the OBC category. </p><p>“I am not worried about my life…this is a decisive battle…I won’t backtrack,” Jarange-Patil told reporters before he commenced his journey from Antarwali Sarathi in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district coinciding with the occasion of Ganesh Chathurthi, which marks the start of the 11-day Ganeshotsav, now Maharashtra's State Festival.</p><p>Jarange-Patil has given a call of ‘Chalo Mumbai’ - and described the fresh agitation as the “final battle”. </p><p>Jarange-Patil will reach Mumbai on Friday after traversing through some districts and cities of the Marathwada, North Maharashtra, Western Maharashtra, and Raigad regions. </p>.Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange cannot hold protest without prior permission of authorities: Bombay High Court. <p>At the historic Azad Maidan in Mumbai, Jarange-Patil will launch a fast-unto-death agitation - his eighth over the last two years. </p><p>“As many days are needed, I am going to be in Mumbai…we will return only after we get the reservation as we have been asking,” the firebrand Maratha community leader said. </p><p>“No stone-pelting, no arson…our agitation is completely peaceful,” he said. </p><p>Besides, he also urged Maratha youth not to lose heart. “We are campaigning…we will surely get justice…please do not take extreme steps…please do not even think of suicide…if you are not there what is this reservation meant for,” he said.</p><p>“Take everyone along…all sides where from the ruling (Maha Yuti) or opposition (Maha Vikas Aghadi)…take everyone along and walk the path…we will surely get success,” he said. </p><p>Jarange-Patil's demand is the implementation of reservation of Marathas as Kunbis, a sub-caste covered under OBC ,and the the formal notification of the ‘sage-soyare’, a Marathi term for ‘relatives from the family tree', which widens the scope of the quota. </p><p>“I have been telling (the government) that Kunbis and Marathas are the same…there are old records to prove it…there should be a GR declaring that the Kunbis are Marathas,” he said. </p><p>“This is a Hindutva government… are the Marathas not Hindus?,” he asked and said that the ball is in the court of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. </p><p>Jarange-Patil went on to add: “I am not worried about bullets…I am ready to give up my life for the Maratha community, for reservation.”</p><p>The commencement of the march comes hours after Fadnavis reached out to Jarange-Patil through his OSD Dajendra Sable-Patil. However, the Maratha reservation campaigner said that he will continue with the agitation even through the the Bombay High Court restricted him from protesting at the Azad Maidan without necessary permissions. </p><p>“Now we must not stop, we have to fight the final battle to the end….we must be patient and peaceful,” he said. </p>
<p>Mumbai: Seeking the blessings of Lord Ganesh and invoking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Manoj Jarange-Patil on Wednesday launched a fresh campaign seeking reservation for Marathas under the OBC category. </p><p>“I am not worried about my life…this is a decisive battle…I won’t backtrack,” Jarange-Patil told reporters before he commenced his journey from Antarwali Sarathi in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district coinciding with the occasion of Ganesh Chathurthi, which marks the start of the 11-day Ganeshotsav, now Maharashtra's State Festival.</p><p>Jarange-Patil has given a call of ‘Chalo Mumbai’ - and described the fresh agitation as the “final battle”. </p><p>Jarange-Patil will reach Mumbai on Friday after traversing through some districts and cities of the Marathwada, North Maharashtra, Western Maharashtra, and Raigad regions. </p>.Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange cannot hold protest without prior permission of authorities: Bombay High Court. <p>At the historic Azad Maidan in Mumbai, Jarange-Patil will launch a fast-unto-death agitation - his eighth over the last two years. </p><p>“As many days are needed, I am going to be in Mumbai…we will return only after we get the reservation as we have been asking,” the firebrand Maratha community leader said. </p><p>“No stone-pelting, no arson…our agitation is completely peaceful,” he said. </p><p>Besides, he also urged Maratha youth not to lose heart. “We are campaigning…we will surely get justice…please do not take extreme steps…please do not even think of suicide…if you are not there what is this reservation meant for,” he said.</p><p>“Take everyone along…all sides where from the ruling (Maha Yuti) or opposition (Maha Vikas Aghadi)…take everyone along and walk the path…we will surely get success,” he said. </p><p>Jarange-Patil's demand is the implementation of reservation of Marathas as Kunbis, a sub-caste covered under OBC ,and the the formal notification of the ‘sage-soyare’, a Marathi term for ‘relatives from the family tree', which widens the scope of the quota. </p><p>“I have been telling (the government) that Kunbis and Marathas are the same…there are old records to prove it…there should be a GR declaring that the Kunbis are Marathas,” he said. </p><p>“This is a Hindutva government… are the Marathas not Hindus?,” he asked and said that the ball is in the court of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. </p><p>Jarange-Patil went on to add: “I am not worried about bullets…I am ready to give up my life for the Maratha community, for reservation.”</p><p>The commencement of the march comes hours after Fadnavis reached out to Jarange-Patil through his OSD Dajendra Sable-Patil. However, the Maratha reservation campaigner said that he will continue with the agitation even through the the Bombay High Court restricted him from protesting at the Azad Maidan without necessary permissions. </p><p>“Now we must not stop, we have to fight the final battle to the end….we must be patient and peaceful,” he said. </p>