Sat Oct 05 02:06:45 UTC 2024: ## Maharashtra Deputy Speaker Jumps From Secretariat in Protest Against Dhangar Reservation

**Mumbai, India** – High drama unfolded at the Maharashtra Secretariat on October 4th when Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal jumped from the third floor in protest. Zirwal, along with two other tribal MLAs, took this drastic action to oppose the inclusion of the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribes category.

Zirwal, a member of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has been vocal against the reservation for the Dhangar community. He had previously written to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, urging him not to take any unconstitutional decision regarding the inclusion and demanding the publication of a TISS report about Dhangar reservation.

The three legislators, who landed on a safety net installed in the secretariat premises after a series of suicide attempts in 2018, climbed back to the building unharmed.

Dhangars, currently listed as Nomadic Tribes, are a shepherd community from western Maharashtra and Marathwada region who have been demanding inclusion in the ST category.

The incident has raised concerns about the political tensions surrounding the Dhangar reservation issue in Maharashtra.

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