Activist moves Bombay High Court against Dhangar agitation

A social activist has approached the Bombay high court seeking directions for Maharashtra government and Mumbai police commissioner to not allow members of Dhangar community to arrange a protest seeking reservation because it could cause law and order problem in the state.

Jitendra Bharati has filed the petition claiming that before the Parliamentary elections in 2014, a protest was held by some of the Dhangar community leaders at Baramati demanding reservation and at that time the BJP leaders had assured them that BJP would grant them reservation if came to power.

However, so far reservation has not been granted and a Pune-based social activist, Hemant Patil has published and distributed pamphlets, posters and banners about protest to be held on August 1, at Vidhan Bhawan in Mumbai.

Giving example of law and order problems in Gujarat when political activist Hardik Patel led protests demanding reservation for Patel community, the petitioner said that if the protest is not banned there would surely be law and order problems across the state. The contention of the petitioner is that during protests in Gujarat, there was loss of business of crores of rupees. According to him, since Mumbai is the financial capital of the country, such a problem would cause a huge economical loss to the country and its citizens.

Mr Bharati has, in his petition, requested the court to direct the state, chief secretary of home department and police commissioner to take appropriate steps to prevent the protest. The petition is likely to come up for hearing in due course.