NCP MLA blocks Pankaja Munde while entering Mantralaya

Mumbai: Pankaja Munde, minister of women and child development, on Tuesday, was stopped by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from entering the Mantralaya and reminded about her promise of not entering the state secretariat till the Dhangar community is given reservation.

As Ms Munde was entering the Mantralaya to att-end the Cabinet meeting, NCP MLA Ramrao Wadkute tried to stop her and sought to know about her promise of not entering it until the demands for reservation are met. However, Ms Munde backtrack-ed by claiming that she ne-ver made such statement.

The Dhangars are currently included in the Vi-mukt Jati Nomadic Tribe (VJNT) category, but they have been demanding ST status for long. Ms Munde, while addressing a rally at Malegaon in Nanded district on Sunday, had vowed to not enter the Mantralaya till Dhangars are given reservation.

Mr Wadkute, who is also a convener of Sakal Dhangar community, accused the minister of cheating the Dhangar community by making false promises. “This is clear betrayal of the Dhangars. She went back on her statement and entered her office. Howe-ver, in 2019 the Dhangars will make sure that she don’t need to come to Mantralaya,” he said.

Mr Wadkute further added, “Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in his very first cabinet meeting had promised that reservation would be given to Dhangar. About 500 cabinet me-etings have occurred, but no action has been taken.

Ms Munde said, “I had said that we will not be able to go to Mantralaya if Dhangars are not given reservation. Instead of stopping me from entering Mantralaya, Mr Vadkute should ask questions to those who did not give the community reservation for the last 70 years.”