ST quota to Dhangars: Maharashtra Dy Speaker, tribal MLAs jump onto safety net at Mantralaya
In a dramatic display of dissent, a group of seven to eight tribal legislators, led by Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, jumped from the third floor of Mantralaya into a safety net below on Friday. The protest was against the state government’s decision to provide reservation to the Dhangar community from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.
The incident occurred while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was holding a Cabinet meeting on the seventh floor. Frustrated by the lack of communication regarding the sensitive issue, the legislators expressed their anger by throwing papers and shouting slogans as they occupied the safety net.
Accompanying Zirwal were fellow legislators Kiran Lahamte, Hiraman Kosekar, Sunil Bhusara, and BJP MP Hemant Sahara. They were particularly upset over the Chief Minister’s failure to meet with them, despite their wait of over seven hours the previous day. The legislators claimed that they were not consulted on the politically charged matter of reserving slots for the Dhangar community.
The protest caught police off guard, necessitating a rapid deployment of personnel to manage the situation. Senior officers attempted to persuade the protesting legislators to descend from the safety net, but they remained defiant. Meanwhile, a large crowd of Mantralaya staff gathered to witness the unfolding drama.
Zirwal, visibly emotional, stated, “We have taken this step in the larger interest of the tribal community and also for the future of our children. We are tribals first and legislators or MPs later.” He highlighted ongoing issues, such as the recruitment of tribal youth under the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996, which he claimed had left many without jobs.
The situation escalated when Zirwal’s blood pressure spiked, prompting police to call in a medical team to assist him. Eventually, after much negotiation, the protesting legislators were brought down to the second floor. However, they continued their sit-in protest, demanding justice and the recruitment of tribal youth.
The lawmakers reiterated their commitment to fighting for their rights, indicating that their struggle would persist until their demands were met.
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