Dhangar, Muslim quota issue rocks Maharashtra Council

Noisy scenes were witnessed in Maharashtra Legislative Council today with the Opposition staging walkout twice on the issue of reservation in jobs and education for Dhangar and Muslim communities.
Amarsingh Pandit (NCP) raised the issue of quota for Dhangars, who are demanding ST status, during the Question Hour.
He said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in January, had assured that the Dhangar community will be given ST status within 15 days after consulting the Advocate General.
"Has the Government taken the necessary steps after consulting the Advocate General?" he asked.
Replying to his query, Minority Affairs Minister Eknath Khadse blamed the previous Congress-NCP Government for the Dhangars not getting benefits of reservation.

"It was the previous Government that denied ST status to the Dhangar community. A committee headed by then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had stated that providing reservation to them would be unconstitutional. If the previous Government had taken a positive decision on the issue, this matter would not have arisen now," Khadse said.

Tribal Development Minister Vishnu Savara said Fadnavis has made made it clear the BJP-led Government is working on technicalities of the issue in consultation with the Attorney General.
Khadse then said the Government wants to make it a watertight case so that it can stand legal scrutiny. The Opposition members objected to Khadse replying in place of Savara and said the latter should answer.

Amid the ruckus, Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar asked the Government to give a specific time-frame in which reservation would be provided.
In his reply, Khadse said the decision will be taken at the earliest. The Opposition members again raised objection and walked out of the House in protest.
Meanwhile, Kapil Patil (Lokbharati Party) raised the issue of Muslim reservation during the Question Hour. Social Justice Minister Dilip Kamble said the matter is sub-judice and nothing much can be said about it at present.
To another query, Kamble said those Muslims who got benefit of reservation, before the Bombay High Court stayed the State Government's order, will not face any disadvantage.

NCP group leader Sunil Tatkare asked the Government to clarify why the ordinance on Muslim reservation, brought by the erstwhile Congress-led Government in July last year, was allowed to lapse by the BJP-headed administration.
As the Minister insisted that the matter was subjudice, the Opposition members again boycotted the proceedings and left the House.