India, May 30 -- Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange on Saturday launched his ninth indefinite hunger strike in Maharashtra's Jalna district, intensifying pressure on the state government to address long-pending demands related to the Maratha quota issue.

The protest began at Antarwali Sarati village, around 400 kilometres from Mumbai, where Jarange commenced his fast in the open under the scorching summer sun without any canopy or protective shelter.

As the agitation gathered momentum, Maharashtra's Maratha Reservation Cabinet Sub-Committee Chairman and Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil rushed to the protest site to hold discussions with Jarange and persuade him to withdraw the fast.

Jarange has repeatedly accused the governmen...