BJP leader Gopichand Padalkar has issued a warning to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, highlighting the potential for a protest within the 'Dhangar' community similar to the 'Jaat' protests that occurred in the country a few years ago.
Padalkar, a member of the legislative council (MLC), penned a two-page letter to the CM, urging him to convene a meeting to address the demands of the Dhangar community. In his missive, he also requested that the ongoing case, which the Maharashtra government is contesting in the high court, and the progress of administrative initiatives aimed at providing interim relief to the community until the reservation issue is resolved, be communicated to community leaders during the meeting.
Padalkar has additionally urged the chief minister to designate former advocate general and senior counsel Aashutosh Kumbhakoni as a permanent representative for the Dhangar reservation case currently under consideration in the High Court.
He also asked CM Shinde to formulate a separate law to protect the Dhangar community, as there have been instances of the members of the community being attacked. He has also reminded the chief minister in the letter to appoint the president of the cooperative society announced for the Dhangar community by the state government for which it has promised to spend Rs 10,000 crore.
Padalkar has also urged the chief minister to instruct the state government and its relevant departments to reassess all the schemes that have been announced and initiated for the Dhangar community. He believes that despite the government's commitment to allocate Rs 1,000 crore for the community and the planning of 22 schemes, not a single scheme has been implemented due to a shortage of funds. Therefore, a review of this situation is imperative.
Padalkar has also demanded the renaming of Ahmadnagar district to 'Punyshlok Ahilyabai Holkar Nagar'.