India, Sept. 16 -- Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has begun his march to Mumbai to press for Maratha reservations, even though the Mumbai police has denied him permission to hold his indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan.

The activist set off from his village Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district on Tuesday morning and is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on September 19. Thousands of Maratha community members from various parts of Marathwada have joined him, putting the Mumbai police and political establishment on alert as their arrival will coincide with the Ganpati celebrations.

The Mumbai police has rejected two applications for permission to protest at Azad Maidan but the activist has submitted a third.

Changing his strateg...