Mumbai : All leaders who addressed the Dhangar community members in Mumbai on Friday criticised the government for their lacklustre attitude towards the demands of the community. Most of the leaders criticized the NCP for opposing their demand for reservation.
“The politicians, who have ditched the Dhangar community, understand only one language. We need to teach them a lesson through the ballot box. Display political strength to get reservation,” said Mahadev Jankar, president of the Rashtriya Samaj Party.
Jankar also thrashed NCP for making Adivasis and Dhangars fight over the Scheduled Tribe (ST) tag. Jankar also told the people from the community that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that he will look into the matter and he should be meeting Modi very soon.
Jankar was addressing the Dhangar community members, who held a protest march in Mumbai on Friday as part of their agitation for Scheduled Tribe status. The march culminated in a public meeting at Azad Maidan.
Many community leaders addressed the meeting. Many amongst them were sitting or former MLAs and MLCs. Many NCP office-bearers declared resignations of their party posts at the meeting.
Earlier, clad in traditional Dhangar attire, the protesters reached Mumbai with their goats and sheep to participate in the march, which began from Byculla and culminated at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai. “We have decided to launch a statewide agitation for seeking Scheduled Tribe status,” Dhangar Samaj Aarakshan Kriti Samiti leader Hanumant Sul said.
“If the decision to include Dhangars in the Scheduled Tribe category is not taken at Saturday’s meeting, we will launch a stir all over Maharashtra from Sunday,” he said.
