Mumbai: Maharashtra Dy speaker, others jump into Mantralaya safety net

Video grab of MLAs after they landed on the safety net

A caste-centric agitation broke out at Mantralaya on Friday, when some MLAs belonging to tribal communities jumped on the safety nets that prevented anyone from falling into the atrium below. Deputy Speaker and NCP-Ajit Pawar member Narhari Zirwal led the all-party protest, seeking the CM's attention towards their demand to not include the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list and the unfair deal they have been given under the The Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act.

Zirwal, Rajesh Patil, Hiraman Khoskar, Kashiram Pavra, Kiran Lahamate, Hemant Savra (MP) and others participated in the protest. Some of them including Zirwal jumped from the third floor into the safety net.

After discussing the matter over the phone with CM Eknath Shinde, who was in a cabinet meeting then, the protesters were helped to safety. But they continued to sit on the second floor, asking for further talks with the head of the state. Sources said several other tribal MLAs and MPs were on their way to Mumbai.

Dy Speaker Narhari Zirwal led the protest. File pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Zirwal had threatened a sit-in agitation some days ago. He had written a letter to the CM, asking him to discontinue the appointment of ST candidates notified under PESA. The community students have been protesting in public places for the past 15 days. The deputy speaker had also warned against any unconstitutional decision regarding the inclusion of Dhangars in the ST list. He also demanded that the report on the Dhangar reservation be made public.

Zirwal reiterated the demands on Friday, saying that tribal public representatives had a ‘Plan B' if the issue was not resolved. "I'm Adivasi first and then MLA and deputy speaker. No leader in the government has visited the protesting students," he said. It was said that after his statements, the CM promised to meet the tribal leaders after the weekly cabinet meeting on Friday. One of the main grudges the MLAs expressed was that the CM had not met them, but according to Zirwal's social media posts three days ago, he, along with tribal MLAs and association leaders, had met the CM and some ministers.

15
No. of days community students have been protesting