Pune: Tensions Rise as Dhangar Community Threatens Protest for Reservation, Police Deployed at Ajit Pawar’s Residence

Baramati, 20th November 2023: In a growing wave of unrest, the Dhangar community has issued a warning to stage a protest demanding reservation, prompting heightened security measures. A police force has been deployed in front of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s residence in Baramati in anticipation of potential demonstrations.

The demand for reservation by the Dhangar community comes at a time when the issue of the Maratha reservation is already in the spotlight. The Dhangar community has warned of protests not only outside the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar but also in front of the houses of all 288 MLAs and 48 MPs in the state.

The unrest stems from the prolonged hunger strike of Chandrakant Waghmode in Baramati, who is advocating for the inclusion of the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. Waghmode has been fasting for eleven days, underscoring the urgency and gravity of the community’s demand for reservation.

The lack of attention to the hunger strike has reportedly fueled the aggression within the Dhangar society. In the next phase of their protest strategy, a sit-in protest has been announced, slated to take place in front of the residences of MLAs and MPs across the state.

Responding to the escalating tension, a significant police presence has been deployed outside Ajit Pawar’s residence in the Cooperative Society in Baramati. The move is aimed at maintaining law and order and preventing any untoward incidents amid the heightened atmosphere of protest and demand for reservation within the Dhangar community.