Jalna, Jan 20 (IANS): Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil launched his promised ‘March to Mumbai’ from his native village Antarvali-Sarati along with thousands of supporters to press for Maratha reservation, here on Saturday morning.

Starting with a prayer on the lips, roars of ‘Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji’ around him, firmness writ on the face, determination in the heart, occasionally moist eyes, a cloud of saffron flags behind him, Jarange-Patil took his few small steps towards the country’s commercial capital where he hopes to get the proverbial pot of ‘quotas’.

“This is a fight for justice for the Marathas. They must get what they are entitled to… We will not back off from the march to Mumbai. No bullets can deter me now. I am ready to give up my life for the Marathas. Whether I remain or not… But we will return only after the reservation is given to us,” vowed Jarange-Patil with a grim demeanour.

While Jarange-Patil hopes to mark the D-day on R-Day (January 26) in Mumbai, lakhs of Marathas from all over the state are expected to march and over the next few days, the organisers claim at least 3 crore (30 million) will virtually lay siege to Mumbai, sending panic waves among various authorities.

The Maratha leader, who has been single-handedly leading the agitation since August 2023, had earlier demanded the quotas with the slogan: ‘Either my funeral procession or a victory march’, and today he expressed readiness to face bullets if the government attempted to thwart the Maratha marchers to Mumbai.

In Mumbai, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has renewed his appeal to Jarange-Patil to put off his walkathon to Mumbai and reiterated that a Special Session of Maharashtra Legislature will be held in February to declare the Maratha quotas.

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar jeered at the government asking “where are the two Ministers who had promised the Maratha quotas... And why are they not showing their faces now”.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called upon the government to stop taking the issue lightly, “call Jarange-Patil for talks and finalise his demands without delays.”

Minister Shambhuraj Desai claimed that the ‘quotas issue is about 70-85 percent solved,” and said it was not appropriate to hold Mumbai at ransom, while expressing concerns over the pressures the march would place on the state capital.

Referring to Jarange-Patil’s claims that some people in the government were trying to trap and break the Maratha agitation, Minister Hasan Mushrif asked him to “give the names of those people” and promised action against them.

Jarange-Patil has submitted his list of demands including giving quotas in education and government jobs to the Marathas, immediately issuing certificates to those whose ‘Kunbi Caste’ (OBC) certificates have been found, withdrawal of all police cases filed against his supporters, etc.

“I have given enough deadlines and extensions to the government, but the issue has still not been resolved even after seven months. Now we will not budge, the Marathas will come out in massive strength. They will not tolerate any injustice now,” declared Jarange-Patil, walking and talking with the media en route.

He said he was toying with the idea of launching a simultaneous hunger-fast from Saturday, but would take the decision after consulting his team, though he plans to sit on indefinite hunger-strike in Mumbai from January 26.