15 September,2026 09:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Eknath Shinde urged Manoj Jarange to ensure that the ongoing Ganeshotsav is not disrupted by the protest. File Pic
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said the government would ensure justice for the Maratha community without causing injustice to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) or any other community, reported the PTI.
Shinde appealed to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange to adopt a positive and constructive approach, saying that if the government takes "four steps forward", protesters should also respond positively.
Jarange is currently heading towards Mumbai to stage a protest over the demand for OBC reservation for eligible Maratha community members with Kunbi caste records.
Speaking to reporters, Shinde also urged Jarange to ensure that the ongoing Ganesh festival is not disrupted by the protest, the news agency reported.
The Ganeshotsav will conclude on September 25, and large numbers of devotees from Maharashtra and other parts of India, as well as from abroad, are visiting Mumbai.
Shinde said the right to protest must be respected, but protesters should ensure that ordinary citizens and devotees do not face inconvenience.
He added that the government and police administration were taking all necessary measures to maintain law and order during the Ganeshotsav 2026.
Jarange, who has been on hunger strike for 17 days, set out for Mumbai from Jalna district on Tuesday in a convoy of cars.
Hundreds of villagers gathered along the route to support him.
The Mumbai Police had earlier denied permission for Jarange to hold his protest at Azad Maidan, citing law and order concerns during the Ganesh festival.
Jarange is demanding OBC quota benefits for Maratha community members who can establish their Kunbi caste lineage through historical records.
Shinde said the government had maintained a positive position on the Maratha community's demands from the beginning, as per the PTI.
He said the government was committed to providing reservation benefits to Marathas while ensuring that the interests of OBCs and other communities were Maratha reservation in 2014. Following legal proceedings, the reservation was fixed at 12 per cent for education and 13 protected.
According to Shinde, the government is in regular dialogue with Jarange through the Chief Minister, ministers, district collectors, police officials and state representatives.
He added that some issues were still before the courts and would have to be addressed within the legal and constitutional framework.
Shinde highlighted several measures taken by the government on the Maratha reservation issue.
According to the PTI, he recalled that the previous government, led by then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had introduced Maratha reservation in 2014. Following legal proceedings, the reservation was fixed at 12 per cent for education and 13 per cent for government jobs.
Shinde said the reservation could not be sustained after a change of government.
He added that after he became Chief Minister, his government passed a law providing 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community during a special session of the state legislature.
Shinde said that the students and young people are currently benefiting from the provision.
Shinde also referred to the government's decision concerning around 5,300 candidates whose appointments had been held up because of court stays.
He said he had publicly expressed his willingness to face consequences if it helped ensure that the affected candidates received their jobs.
The government has also increased the loan limit of the Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation and introduced measures including hostel facilities and overseas education scholarships.
Shinde further pointed to the work of the Justice Shinde Committee, which was set up to examine historical records and facilitate the issuance of Kunbi certificates to eligible people, reported the PTI.
He claimed that millions of citizens had protesters to take a constructive approach and said the education and employment of economically disadvantaged students and received certificates through the process.
Shinde said the government had done everything possible for the Maratha community within the limits of the law and the Constitution.
However, he stressed that matters pending before the courts could not be resolved outside the legal process.
He called on protesters to take a constructive approach and said the education and employment of economically disadvantaged students and young people should remain the priority.
Shinde also warned against attempts to use the Maratha agitation for political gains.
(with PTI inputs)
