Govt, oppn spar over Dhangar quota in Maha Legislative Council

The Maharashtra Legislative Council Tuesday witnessed uproar over reservation for the Dhangar community with opposition parties alleging that the government was "playing politics" on it.

The state government, however, said Dhangars would be given quota without it affecting the reservation provided to Scheduled Tribe communities in Maharashtra.

Leader of Opposition in the Council Dhananjay Munde demanded a resolution on Dhangar quota through a point of propriety but it was disallowed by Council chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar.

Following this, several opposition MLCs rushed to the Well of the House demanding that a resolution be brought to provide quota to the community.

Cornering the government on not providing reservation to Dhangars under the ST category, Congress MLC Harisingh Rathod said the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine was fooling the community and was playing politics.

Replying to the opposition, state Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said the Dhangar community would be given reservation without touching the existing ST quota.

"A proposal in this connection will be tabled in the state legislature after which it will be sent to the Centre," Patil said, adding that state Advocate-General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni was preparing this proposal.

Munde accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of not fulfilling his promise of giving quota to Dhangars and said the ruling BJP at the Centre did table any bill in Lok Sabha for this either despite being in power since 2014.

"They (BJP) did not do it (providing quota)in order to keep the issue alive for electoral gains," Munde alleged.