Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 chastised his fellow BJP colleague and MLC Gopichand Padalkar for the latter’s controversial remarks made recently against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, while underscoring the need for leaders of the ruling parties to work together.
Mr. Fadnavis stressed there was a need for the leaders of all three ruling parties – the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction which constitute the ‘Mahayuti’ government in the State - to respect each other.
Mr. Padalkar, an influential Dhangar leader from Sangli in western Maharashtra, had recently written to CM Eknath Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis on the problems faced by the Dhangar community, while pointedly omitting to write to Mr. Pawar.
When asked why he did not address his letter to Mr. Pawar, Mr. Padalkar had remarked it was pointless to approach him on the matter of reservation for the Dhangars, while characterizing the NCP leader as ‘cunning’ in a derogatory manner.
“Gopichand Padalkar’s remarks [against Mr. Pawar] are inappropriate. It is wrong to make such statements. Leaders and party workers from all three parties need to respect each other. It is my firm opinion that such language should not be used at all,” said Mr. Fadnavis.
The recent recrudescence of the Maratha quota protests has spurred the Dhangar community to place its demands before the Shinde government, with Mr. Padalkar acting as the spearhead for the community’s interests.
The Dhangar community has been seeking fulfilment of their long-pending demand to be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. The community, currently included in the Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT) category, has been agitating for a higher quota inclusion in the ST list for some years now.
In his letter to Mr. Shinde, Mr. Padalkar warned of a protest by Dhangars akin to that of the Jat agitation and asked the government to call a meeting over the demands of the community.
Dhangar leaders in Maharashtra contend that while their community brethren called ‘Dhangad’ in other parts of the country are availing of the ST benefits, those in the State are denied of the same owing to a long-standing typographical error on the name.
