Pune: Dhangars vandalise office over quota

The Dhangars damaged property and also threw bhandara (turmeric) all over

The Maratha communities' protests for reservation are on 'hold,' but now the Dhangar community has begun agitating violently in Maharashtra. On Friday, its members vandalised the Tribal Research and Training Institute, at Queens Garden.

They claimed the institute has mislead the community as it has declared reservation but not given it. The protesters justified their actions by claiming that they were teaching the department a lesson.

Dhangars enjoy reservation under the nomadic tribe (NT) category, which is entitled to 3.5 per cent quota. However, they are demanding that they be included in ST category, which enjoys 7 per cent quota. Moreover, since the NT category is not recognised at the centre, Dhangars feel that they have been deprived of jobs with the union government.

Recently, Dhangar leader Gopichand Padalkar said, "Through RTI, we found that no district administration in the state has issued any certificate for the Dhangad community. Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and tribal minister Vishnu Devara have said Dhangar and Dhangad are different communities with different cultures. For this we are going to file criminal cases against them."

Also Read: Pune court grants bail to 170 Maratha protesters

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