Include Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis in Dhangar Quota Committee: BJP’s Maha Community Face Gopichand Padalkar

As the demand for inclusion of the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category intensifies, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) face of the community Gopichand Padalkar has sought a prominent place for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the government-appointed committee for the reservation.

Praising Fadnavis for his contribution, Padalkar, in his letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said the Dy CM was the first to support the reservation for the Dhangar community in ST category. “Fadnavis was the first to admit that the Dhangar community should be given equal rights like tribals. During his tenure as the Chief Minister, he gave an affidavit that Dhangars are ‘Dhangad’. He has contributed a lot to the community, from floating various schemes to the reservation,” Padalkar said.

The letter comes in the backdrop of the state government’s announcement to form a high-powered committee to oversee the implementation of schemes meant for the Dhangar community. The CM will be heading the committee. The state government had announced 13 schemes for the Dhangar community, for which Rs 140 crore was allocated in August 2019.

“I am glad that the state government has appointed the high-powered committee for the Dhangar reservation after the protests and fasts across the state. I am confident that the committee will work positively for the community. However, Fadnavis, who has contributed a lot to the community, is not included in the committee. It is the community’s sentiments that you include Fadnavis in the committee,” he wrote.

The issue will play a key role in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which will be held next year. On the one side, the Shinde government is tackling the issue of Maratha reservation, where the Other Backward Classes (OBC) are not happy to share their quota with Maratha community. On the other hand, the Dhangar community is also seeking reservation, with Padalkar warning the government to hold intense agitation, if the government doesn’t come up with a solution.

Other members in the committee are finance minister, OBC welfare minister, tribal development minister, rural development department minister, animal husbandry and fisheries development minister and one non-government member from each of the revenue divisions belonging to the Dhangar community.