Mumbai, Sep 17 Pursuant to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange's decision calling off his indefinite fast, the Bombay High Court on Thursday said there was no need to pass any order on an interim plea seeking denial of permission for his proposed protest at Mumbai's Azad Maidan.
An NGO, Amy Foundation, on Wednesday moved an interim petition in the HC, citing that protesters have mobilised people marching towards Mumbai, despite there being no permission to hold any procession or strike from designated authorities.
However, on Thursday the court was informed that Jarange was not coming to Mumbai for continuing his hunger strike on the Maratha reservation issue.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna noted that in view of the latest development, there was no need for passing any interim order on the plea.
The bench then posted the original matter for hearing on September 24.
Police earlier denied permission to the activist to stage an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan.
In the morning, Jarange called off his 20-day-old fast, and warned the Maharashtra government that he would take the protest to Mumbai if his demands over Maratha reservation were not considered in three months.
The 44-year-old activist made the announcement after talks with a government delegation which included senior ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, Dada Bhuse, MLC Prasad Lad and MLA Suresh Dhas and senior officials, at Patoda in Beed district in central Maharashtra.
Jarange started his latest round of hunger strike in August-end in Antarwali Sarati, Jalna district, from where he was on his way to Mumbai to take forward the protest when he called off his indefinite fast mid-way.
He has been demanding "official recognition" of historical administrative records like the Hyderabad Gazette, Satara Gazette, and Aundh Gazette so Marathas can prove Kunbi lineage and claim OBC reservation benefits in government jobs and education.
The Kunbis, an agrarian community, fall under Maharashtra's Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
Last year, Jarange's hunger strike at Azad Maidan had brought south Mumbai, a business hub, to a standstill as thousands of his supporters poured into the city.
The stir was called off on September 2, 2025, after the government accepted six of his eight demands and initiated steps for Kunbi classification certificates.
