Maratha activist Manoj Jarange has announced that he will escalate his ongoing hunger strike by giving up water from Monday, marking the fourth day of his indefinite protest at Azad Maidan. Jarange, who is pressing for Maratha reservation, made the declaration during a press conference on Sunday afternoon, stressing that his agitation will continue until the government meets his demands.

Jarange’s protest entered its third day on Sunday, a day after he refused to meet a state government delegation led by retired High Court judge Sandeep Shinde, who heads the committee formed to expedite the quota process. The 43-year-old activist dismissed the move, arguing that it is not within Justice Shinde’s powers to issue a Government Resolution (GR) granting reservation. “The government must take a concrete decision. This is not Justice Shinde’s job,” Jarange said, reiterating that the agitation would continue with greater intensity.

The protest has drawn thousands of Maratha community members to South Mumbai, with heavy crowds spilling over into nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and adjoining areas. The influx of demonstrators has led to traffic congestion around the Azad Maidan protest site. Mumbai Police, which had initially allowed the protest for two days, extended permission by another day on Saturday, given the surging turnout.