The Azad Maidan protest, where a section of Marathas were protesting, has been called off.
Leader of agitation Mohan Jarange Patil says government accepted six of eight key demands.
Patil ends fast-unto-death, says future depends on implementation.
The five-day-long Maratha quota protest at Azad Maidan ended on Tuesday as activist Manoj Jarange Patil broke his indefinite fast, saying the Maharashtra government has accepted most of the movement's demands.
Jarange, who had escalated his agitation by refusing even water, was moved to tears as he sipped juice to mark the end of his fast. “Today is Diwali for us. We have won,” he told thousands of supporters who erupted in joy, waving flags and chanting slogans.
According to The Indian Express, the government has accepted his key demands. A cabinet sub-committee led by Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil presented a Government Resolution (GR) assuring that the Marathas with Kunbi records would be issued caste certificates following verification.
The government also agreed to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, withdraw cases filed against protesters by the end of September 2025 and provide jobs to family members of those who died in the agitation.
“The government has accepted most of our demands within constitutional limits. This is a win for the community,” Vikhe Patil said, thanking Jarange for calling off the strike, The Hindu reported.
The protest site turned into a carnival of relief and triumph as over 40,000 supporters cheered Jarange’s announcement. “Jitlo re raje ho apan (we have won, my friends," he declared to loud applause.
Educational institutions around South Mumbai had shifted to online classes due to the agitation, while traffic diversions across Marine Drive, DN Road and P D’Mello Road had paralysed traffic movement. The police had earlier issued notices to vacate the site, citing violations, but stood down once the breakthrough was announced.
According to The Hindu, the Bombay High Court, which has been closely monitoring the stir, had permitted Jarange to remain at Azad Maidan until Wednesday morning. It cautioned against law violations, warning of strict action if directives were breached.
Jarange said, according to Indian Express, that his supporters would leave Mumbai by 9 pm, once the Government Resolution was formally issued on each item. The future course of the movement, he said, would depend on the government’s fulfilling its promises.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government was “committed to the [Maratha quota] issue within constitutional provisions,” critics and political opponents have urged stronger action to ensure permanent relief for the Maratha community.
The OBC quota demand of the Marathas has been a longstanding issue for the community, which feels it has been slipping on social and economic indicators in recent decades.
The agitation ended after receiving official confirmation that the Marathas would be granted 'Kunbi status', in other words, the community would be included in the Other Backward Classes reservation in the state.
Earlier in the day, Maratha quota protesters were ordered to move from their Azad Maidan protest site to Navi Mumbai. The protesters had resolved that only 5,000 would remain at the site, while the other would relocate. At the same time, news of the government agreeing to their demands spread joy among the protesters.
(This is a developing story and will be updated.)
