MUMBAI – In a dramatic protest, Maharashtra’s Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal and three other legislators jumped from the third floor of the state secretariat in Mumbai. Among those involved in the protest was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to Indian media reports.
The lawmakers took this extreme step in opposition to the government’s proposal to include the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, a move that has sparked widespread controversy. Currently, the Dhangar community is classified as part of the Nomadic Tribes, which grants them a 3% quota in government jobs and educational institutions. However, inclusion in the ST category would raise this quota to 7%, creating a significant impact on the distribution of reserved seats.
Despite their leap from the third floor, all four lawmakers were unharmed, as they landed on a safety net installed in 2012 to prevent suicide attempts at the secretariat.
The protest has further intensified the debate surrounding the Dhangar community’s inclusion in the ST category, highlighting ongoing tensions over caste-based reservations in India.
