Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Friday (May 29, 2026) reiterated that he will begin the indefinite hunger strike under the blazing sun without any shade from Saturday (May 30, 2026) in Antarwali Sarati village of Maharashtra’s Jalna district. He stayed firm on his decision even after meeting the delegation of BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Prasad Lad, accusing the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government of taking his agnipariksha “cruel trial by fire”.“They are taking agniparisksha of the Maratha community. This arrogance of government should stop. Mr. Fadnavis should sit in this May heat like me for two days. If he has courage,” said Mr. Jarange Patil, calling his upcoming agitation toughest of all. A delegation of BJP leaders Mr. Vikhe Patil and Prasad Lad, met Mr. Jarange Patil on Friday (May 29, 2026) to address his demands. He is once again protesting due to discrepancies in the issued certificate, delay in issuing pending certificates, and giving an extension to the Sandeep Shinde committee to trace Kunbi records for one more year.Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Friday (May 29, 2026) morning reiterated that he has full confidence that Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil will withdraw agitation when he knows what the government has done for Maratha reservation. However, Mr. Jarange Patil is not convinced of the government assurance and decided to launch the agitation. Mr. Vikhe Patil, after meeting Jarange Patil, said, “I have instructed collectors to do a sample survey about the situation in their districts. I agree with his objection to things not looking great on the ground. So, we have issued SOPs and ensured that in the next few months, things will move faster.‘58 lakhs Kunbi entries’Manoj Jarange Patil, on Friday (May 29, 2026), dismissed the claims of 58 lakhs Kunbi entries being a misunderstanding by BJP Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, saying that these figures were announced by the government itself.“How can anyone call it misunderstandings? If it is a misunderstanding, then give the right figure. It was the government that claimed 58 lakhs entries. If it is 10 lakhs, then tell us, give the right figure, “said Mr. Jarange Patil in response to Mr. Vikhe Patil’s remarks. 58 lakh entries here mean 58 lakhs individual documentary mentions of the word “Kunbi” connection with Maratha families across old historical records. On Friday (May 29, 2026), highlighting the issues in implementation of the quota, Mr. Vikhe Patil said, “The government has also formed a sub-committee to monitor the implementation of the reservation and distribution of Kunbi certificates. “Someone has misinformed him about 58 lakhs entries. We will put all these things during our meeting and give clarity. The 58 lakh entries are not the question. The reservation is implemented across the State. Over 2.5 lakh Kunbi certificates are given in Marathwada. Satara Gazette also has some legal issues.”The other issues Mr. Vikhe Patil addressed were problems within the Hyderabad Gazette, which, according to him, is taking time in the implementation. “The Hyderabad gazette has no names but numbers, and to prove relations as per historical records has become tedious and also alleged that there is negligence at the local level, and some officer purposely delaying it. “The timelines are ascertained to provide the reservation; the regular updates are also taken on this. However, a few legal conditions like validation of certificate are taking time but that doesn’t mean government is not working,” he added.In terms of cases filed against protestors during the protest, he said, “95% cases have already been taken back. Among 668 cases filed, 567 are withdrawn.” Published - May 30, 2026 09:24 am IST