Watch: Maharashtra deputy speaker jumps from 3rd floor of secretariat in protest, lands safely on net

An unusual scene unfolded on the Maharashtra state secretariat premises in Mumbai on Friday when Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal and three legislators, including a BJP MP, jumped from the third floor to protest the potential inclusion of the Dhangar community into Scheduled Tribes or ST category. The four members fortunately landed safely on a security net installed in 2018 to prevent suicide attempts at Mantralaya. The net, located one floor below, ensured that none of the legislators sustained any injuries.

Zirwal, a member of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), along with the other three lawmakers, took the extreme step to express opposition to the government’s consideration of the Dhangar community’s demand for ST status. Video footage from the scene captured the legislators climbing back into the building after landing on the safety net, unharmed.

Earlier, tribal MLAs had gathered as a protest outside Mantralaya, during the cabinet meeting attended by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, among others. Dhangar community, which is still in the OBC category, has been organizing agitations since then from Pandharpur town in Solapur district demanding to be added to the ST category. These protesters have brought it forth to the notice that Dhangars are the same as Dhangads, the Scheduled Tribe listed in many states in India.

The protest highlights the growing tensions surrounding the demands of the Dhangar community and their ongoing campaign for recognition as a Scheduled Tribe. As the government deliberates, the protest at Mantralaya underscores the high stakes and emotional charge of the debate.

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