No response from govt over demand for meeting, will sit on indefinite fast from Saturday: Wangchuk
New Delhi, Oct 4: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk said he and other protesters from Ladakh would sit on an indefinite fast from Saturday since they have not received any response from the government over their demand of meeting the President, prime minister or the Union home minister.
Wangchuk was leading the 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra', which began from Leh a month ago. The 'padyatra' was organised by the Leh Apex Body, which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance, has been spearheading an agitation for the last four years for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
At a press conference here, the climate activist said they had written to the office of the President, Prime Minister and Home Minister seeking an appointment and were assured that they would be informed about the meeting by Friday 5 pm.
"We have not received any response from the government. So we will sit on an indefinite fast from tomorrow," Wangchuk said.
Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa and other members of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance were present at the press conference.
Wangchuk said they have requested the authorities to provide them space in Jantar Mantar for holding the fast. He said they have not received any confirmation yet and appealed to all political parties and organisations to provide them with a venue for the protest.
Wangchuk and 150 people from Ladakh were detained from Delhi's Singhu border on Monday night. They were taken to Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat on Wednesday and were released after that.
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Maha Dy Speaker, other tribal leaders jump onto Mantralaya net to oppose ST status to Dhangars
Mumbai, Oct 4: Tribal leaders, including Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, protesting against the demand to include the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe list, on Friday jumped from the third floor of Maharashtra state secretariat Mantralaya on the safety net just a floor below.
No injuries were reported in the incident that saw tense moments unfolding at the six-storey Mantralaya complex.
Zirwal, his fellow Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Kiran Lahamate and BJP tribal MP Hemant Savara were among those who jumped from the third floor onto the safety net installed on the second floor, a precaution taken in response to previous suicide attempts at the site.
The incident occurred around 12.40 pm, a police official said.
The protest, which involved two MLAs and an MP from the ruling Mahayuti alliance, highlighted escalating tensions over the government's handling of tribal issues.
After the police personnel removed these leaders from the net, these tribal representatives then gathered in the ground floor passage and began a sit-in claiming that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was not meeting them to discuss the quota issue.
Dhangar or shepherd community in the state is demanding ST category inclusion for the purpose of reservation. But Zirwal and other tribal leaders are protesting against this demand.
"I am an adivasi first and then an MLA and a deputy speaker," Zirwal told reporters when asked what led him to resort to such a protest.
"CM Shinde should meet the protesters," he added.
BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar said Zirwal holds a constitutional post and there is no need to take such an extreme step.
Zirwal said the state government should offer protection to students who have been protesting since a fortnight against the halt to recruitment under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) in Maharashtra.
Speaking in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar about the incident, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said, "Zirwal is in the government and a responsible person...The protesters should have spoken to other leaders who are present there. The chief minister meets everyone after the cabinet meeting. Instead of doing such agitations, they should have spoken to the CM first. This kind of protest by Zirwal is unacceptable."
"Caste-related agitations are going on across the state. The CM and two deputy CMs do hold talks with those who wish to discuss issues," he said.
