Gopichand Padalkar, the ‘Dhangar’ face of the party, with the protesters. (X)
Maha Quota Stir by Dhangars: Gopichand Padalkar, the ‘Dhangar’ face of the BJP, explained to the youth what happened in the state govt’s recent meeting on the issue and sought some time, while reminding them of the case in the Bombay High Court
The Dhangar community’s hunger strike for reservation in Satara district’s Dahiwadi, which came soon after the intense stir by Maharashtra’s Maratha community, has been called off after the intervention by Gopichand Padalkar, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leader from the community.
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Padalkar, the ‘Dhangar’ face of the party, explained to the youth what happened in the Maharashtra government’s recent meeting on the reservation issue. Padalkar also told them that this government has asked for some time to take necessary steps. He also reminded them that even as a dialogue is on with the community leaders, a case is also being fought in the Bombay High Court on Dhangar reservation.
दहिवडी जि.सातारा येथे आमरण उपोषणाला बसलेले नितीन कटरे, वैभव गोरड, शरद गोरड व सुरेश गोरड यांच्याशी काल झालेल्या संवादाला मान देत व आपल्या प्रकृतीची काळजी घेत उपोषण सोडले. आता पुढील लढाई आपल्या सर्वांना न्यायालयात लढायची आहे.यळकोट यळकोट, जय मल्हार. pic.twitter.com/OiRu0fdulu— Gopichand Padalkar (@GopichandP_MLC) September 23, 2023
The protesters were adamant on a dialogue with the guardian minister as earlier promises with the authorities concerned failed to fructify. Shambhuraj Desai, guardian minister of Satara, also promised the community his full cooperation. “Being the guardian minister of Satara, I will take all efforts to resolve this issue. In case we have to make some special arrangements, we will do it,” said Desai, after the young protesters broke their fast.
FOUR PROTESTING GROUPS
Four major groups of Dhangars are demanding reservation in the state. Although two groups withdrew their agitation earlier, the third group withdrew it late Saturday.
Desai has promised a meeting post Ganesh festival. The fourth group is still on hunger strike in Chondi village of Ahmednagar district, which falls in the constituency of Rohit Pawar, the grandson of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar.
These protesting groups, apart form the reservation, want the government to act against the “unnecessary attacks” in the state. Desai has promised that the government will look into the issue.
Two members of the community will also be included in the state committee to study the Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation and how it has been implemented in four other states.
