High-Stakes Protest at Maharashtra's Mantralaya: Tribal Leaders Take to the Nets

Tribal leaders, including Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, staged a dramatic protest at Mantralaya to oppose the scheduled tribe status for the Dhangar community. They jumped onto safety nets to express their discontent and demanded a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the quota issue.

High drama unfolded at Mantralaya, located in South Mumbai, when several tribal leaders, including Maharashtra assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, made a dramatic protest by jumping onto the safety nets installed there. The leaders opposed the proposal to grant scheduled tribe status to the Dhangar community.

No injuries were reported, according to officials. The group of protesters included two MLAs and an MP from the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Among those who jumped were NCP legislators Zirwal and Kiran Lahamate, as well as BJP's tribal MP Hemant Savara, who took the extreme step from the third floor.

Following their removal by police personnel, the tribal representatives staged a sit-in at the ground floor of the secretariat, demanding a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. They expressed concerns over the halt in recruitment under the PESA Act.

(With inputs from agencies.)