Video: Maharashtra MLA's Jump From 3rd Floor Mantralaya Bldg. Protesting Dhangar Status

Mantralaya Protest Over Scheduled Tribe Status for Dhangars

Several tribal Maharastra MLAs, including Deputy Speaker and NCP MLA Narhari Zirwal, protested by jumping from the third floor onto safety nets installed in Mantralaya. They were protesting the discontinuation of appointments for Scheduled Tribe candidates under the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension of Scheduled Area) Act (PESA) and the proposed granting of Scheduled Tribe status to the Dhangar community ahead of the assembly elections.

“We have been left with no choice but to take this extreme step,” said Narhari Zirwal, one of the senior-most tribal MLAs from the ruling coalition. “The government has stalled the recruitment process for tribal candidates under PESA, and we demand immediate action.”

The protest saw MLAs jumping from the third floor of the Mantralaya building onto safety nets below. Alongside Zirwal, BJP MP Hemant Savra and MLAs Kiran Lahamate, Hiraman Khoskar, and Rajesh Patil participated in the protest. After being removed from the nets by the police, the MLAs continued their demonstration with a sit-in within the Mantralaya premises.

#WATCH | NCP leader Ajit Pawar faction MLA and deputy speaker Narhari Jhirwal jumped from the third floor of Maharashtra's Mantralaya and got stuck on the safety net. Police present at the spot. Details awaited pic.twitter.com/nYoN0E8F16

— ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2024

“We have been trying to meet with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, but our concerns have not been addressed,” stated Zirwal. “The inclusion of Dhangars in the Scheduled Tribe list without proper constitutional procedures is unacceptable.”

The MLAs are demanding the resumption of the recruitment process for tribal candidates and the publication of the TISS report on Dhangar reservations. According to the Times of India, Zirwal emphasized in a letter to the Chief Minister that “the government must not take any unconstitutional decisions regarding the inclusion of Dhangars in the ST list. ”

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is expected to meet with the protesting MLAs later in the afternoon to discuss their demands and seek a resolution to the ongoing issue.