16 September,2026 08:23 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said there should be no disruption to Ganeshotsav as Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil headed towards Mumbai to stage a protest over the community's quota demands.
Fadnavis said maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the police but stressed that the timing of the proposed protest during the festival could affect devotees and public movement in Mumbai and Pune.
"Maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the police. So far, his application has not been rejected. The Ganesh festival in Mumbai-Pune is the biggest festival among Hindu festivals; there should be no disruption in it," Fadnavis said.
Jarange Patil left Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on Tuesday and began his journey towards Mumbai, where he has proposed staging a protest over reservation benefits for the Maratha community.
He had earlier issued an eight-day ultimatum to the Maharashtra government and said he would begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on September 19 if his demands were not addressed.
Speaking to ANI in Jalna, Jarange Patil said the agitation would move to Mumbai if the government failed to act within the deadline.
"The government has eight days left. If the Maratha community's demands are not met within this period, I will sit on a fast unto death at Mumbai's Azad Maidan at 10 AM on September 19. Whatever happens next will take place in Mumbai. The government shows no regard for the issues faced by poor Marathas," he said.
The proposed protest comes during Ganeshotsav, which began on September 14 and is being observed across Maharashtra. Mumbai witnesses large public gatherings and processions during the festival, leading authorities to make additional arrangements for traffic management, crowd control and security.
The latest development follows a meeting between a Maharashtra government delegation and Jarange Patil on September 4, when the activist was on an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati.
The delegation appealed to him to withdraw his agitation, but he continued to press for his demands.
The delegation included Maharashtra ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Uday Samant and Makarand Aaba Patil, along with BJP MLA Prasad Lad. Discussions were held on various demands raised by the Maratha community.
Mumbai Police have also denied permission for the proposed protest at Azad Maidan, citing law-and-order concerns during the ongoing Ganesh festival. Jarange Patil has nevertheless continued with his plan to travel to Mumbai.
During his interaction with the media, Fadnavis also spoke about the state government's plans for a large shipbuilding and ship-repair facility.
He said the Maharashtra government had signed an agreement involving Rs 27,000 crore to establish the Maharashtra Shipyard across three ports. According to Fadnavis, the project would become the country's largest facility for shipbuilding and ship repair.
"The Maharashtra government has signed an agreement to build the Maharashtra Shipyard at three ports. This is a Rs. 27,000 crore agreement. It will be the country's largest shipyard for shipbuilding and ship repair. It will generate 15,000 direct and 75,000 indirect jobs. Forty percent of the country's shipbuilding target will be built at this shipyard itself. After taking all permissions, we will start it soon," Fadnavis said.
The project is expected to include a shipbuilding cluster at Dighi in Raigad district. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited has been identified as the anchor shipyard under the proposed project.
According to details shared by the Chief Minister's Office, Fadnavis presided over the signing and exchange of a memorandum of understanding between National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Maharashtra Limited and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited at Mantralaya in Mumbai.
The proposed Greenfield Shipbuilding Industrial Cluster will be located at Dighi in Raigad district, with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited serving as the anchor shipyard.
The project is planned to have a shipbuilding capacity of at least 1.2 million gross tonnes per year. The National Shipbuilding Mission has given in-principle approval for expenditure of Rs 27,500 crore for the project, according to the details provided by the Chief Minister's Office.
Fadnavis also spoke about measures concerning sugar factories and said the government was taking steps to support their operations while ensuring that farmers benefit.
He said, "Sugar factories should run properly; hence, they will get a loan of Rs. 7.5 lakh crore, the interest on which will be paid by the government. So, farmers will also benefit. Maharashtra is number one in FRP payment."
The Chief Minister's remarks on the proposed protest came as Jarange Patil's journey towards Mumbai began, with the timing of the planned agitation coinciding with the ongoing Ganesh festival.
(With inputs from ANI)
