MUMBAI: Close to half a dozen tribal MLAs , including deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal , one of the seniormost scheduled tribe MLAs in the Mahayuti govt, staged a protest over implementation of quotas by jumping off the state secretariat building onto safety nets installed in the atrium of the structure between floors. The protest against discontinuation of appointment of ST candidates notified under PESA (Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension of Scheduled Area) and inclusion of the Dhangar community among STs ahead of the assembly elections raised eyebrows as Zirwal, an NCP (Ajit) legislator, holds a constitutional post.
The tribal MLAs which included Kiran Lahamate, Hiraman Khoskar and Rajesh Patil jumped off from the third floor around noon. Minutes later, the group was led away by the police. MP Hemant Savra was with them. Nets were installed at the secretariat in 2018 following a spate of suicide attempts. After police led the MLAs off, they staged a sit-in protest in Mantralaya corridors. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said an inquiry will be conducted into the MLAs' actions. BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar said Zirwal who holds a constitutional post should not have taken such an extreme step.
The incident may prove an embarrassment for the govt since the protest against its decision to include the Dhangars among STs was led by one of its own MLAs. Zirwal, an NCP (Ajit) legislator, had in a letter to CM Shinde last month, said the Mahayuti govt must not take any "unconstitutional decision" to include Dhangars, a community of shepherds, in the ST list and that a TISS report on quota should be published. Zirwal had said he had no issues with govt announcing monetary schemes for the development of Dhangars but was against their inclusion in the ST fold.
Govt has announced it will include the Dhangars among STs but has not yet taken steps to enable it.
CM Eknath Shinde and rural development minister Girish Mahajan met the protestors on Friday and addressed part of their demands. Shinde told them that as an interim move, tribals will be appointed under PESA on an honorarium basis till a final court order comes.
The tribal MLAs which included Kiran Lahamate, Hiraman Khoskar and Rajesh Patil jumped off from the third floor around noon. Minutes later, the group was led away by the police. MP Hemant Savra was with them. Nets were installed at the secretariat in 2018 following a spate of suicide attempts. After police led the MLAs off, they staged a sit-in protest in Mantralaya corridors. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said an inquiry will be conducted into the MLAs' actions. BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar said Zirwal who holds a constitutional post should not have taken such an extreme step.
The incident may prove an embarrassment for the govt since the protest against its decision to include the Dhangars among STs was led by one of its own MLAs. Zirwal, an NCP (Ajit) legislator, had in a letter to CM Shinde last month, said the Mahayuti govt must not take any "unconstitutional decision" to include Dhangars, a community of shepherds, in the ST list and that a TISS report on quota should be published. Zirwal had said he had no issues with govt announcing monetary schemes for the development of Dhangars but was against their inclusion in the ST fold.
Govt has announced it will include the Dhangars among STs but has not yet taken steps to enable it.
CM Eknath Shinde and rural development minister Girish Mahajan met the protestors on Friday and addressed part of their demands. Shinde told them that as an interim move, tribals will be appointed under PESA on an honorarium basis till a final court order comes.
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