On Friday, the Maharashtra secretariat in Mumbai experienced an extraordinary event when Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, along with three other legislators, jumped from the third floor in protest against the proposal to include the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Zirwal, a member of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), along with a BJP MP and two other legislators, landed safely on a safety net installed one floor below to prevent suicide attempts in the Mantralaya.
Watch:
#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
The legislators’ jump was a direct response to the ongoing discussions about granting ST status to the Dhangar community, currently classified under the Other Backward Classes (OBC). According to officials, no injuries were reported following their jump, and videos captured the lawmakers climbing back into the building after their descent onto the net.
Earlier that day, a group of tribal MLAs had staged a protest within the Mantralaya complex during a cabinet meeting that included Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis. Members of the Dhangar community in Maharashtra have been actively advocating for their inclusion in the ST category, claiming that their community shares similarities with the Dhangads, who are recognized as Scheduled Tribes in several other states.
