In a dramatic protest on Friday, Maharashtra Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal and three other legislators jumped from the third floor of the state secretariat in Mumbai to oppose the potential inclusion of the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. The group, which includes a BJP MP, landed safely on a safety net installed on the second floor of the Mantralaya to prevent suicide attempts.

Zirwal, a member of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and his fellow legislators took the leap to draw attention to their stance against the government's consideration of the Dhangar community's request for ST status. Fortunately, none of the legislators sustained injuries from the jump.

Footage from the incident showed the lawmakers climbing back into the building after their protest. Earlier that day, tribal MLAs had gathered in the Mantralaya complex to voice their concerns during a cabinet meeting attended by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis.

Currently classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC), members of the Dhangar community have been actively demonstrating in Pandharpur, Solapur district, demanding recognition as Scheduled Tribes. Protesters argue that their community shares cultural ties with the Dhangads, who are already listed as ST in several states.