Jarange-Patil strike: Health declines, govt refuses visits

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil's indefinite hunger strike entered its 11th day on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, with his health deteriorating significantly. Officials reported that Jarange-Patil's blood sugar levels dropped to 66 mg/dL and his weight fell from 52 kg to 45 kg. He agreed to receive intravenous fluids following phone calls from Maharashtra minister Uday Samant and MLA Prasad Lad, who assured him that the state government would begin addressing his demands on Tuesday. Jarange-Patil, protesting in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, 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. The Kunbi community is traditionally agrarian and officially classified under the OBC category, making its members eligible for reservation benefits in education and government employment. The Maharashtra government, however, stated that no further delegation would visit Jarange-Patil.