Overview

• Manoj Jarange-Patil’s hunger strike at Azad Maidan entered a third day, with a warning he will stop taking water from September 1 and a vow not to leave the city until demands are met.
• Initial talks with a government team led by retired Justice Sandeep Shinde failed, with Shinde stressing that caste certificates are issued to individuals and he cannot issue a government resolution.
• Shinde said the cabinet has given in-principle approval to accept Hyderabad Gazette records for Kunbi certificates, while Jarange seeks a government resolution declaring Marathas in Marathwada as Kunbis using Hyderabad and Satara gazettes.
• The cabinet sub-committee pursued legal options and planned to consult the Advocate General, as some BJP ministers urged use of the EWS quota and Sharad Pawar called for a constitutional amendment to raise the reservation cap.
• Thousands of supporters remain camped around Azad Maidan and CSMT, police extended protest permission, traffic was repeatedly disrupted, and the BMC said water, toilets and sanitation teams were deployed.