Beed, September 16, 2025: Nationalist Congress leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Dhananjay Munde has now taken a U-turn after the controversy over his statement regarding the Banjara and Wanjari communities. His statement during a Banjara community rally in Beed had caused a strong backlash. He had claimed that the Banjara and Wanjari communities are one and the same. However, after some youth objected to this statement and seeing the controversy growing, Munde has clarified his position. He has now said that, "Banjara and Wanjari are two different castes, but they have cultural and historical similarities."
Background to the controversy
A big rally was organized in Beed on Monday (September 15) to get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Banjara community. During this rally, Dhananjay Munde claimed in his speech that the Banjara and Wanjari communities are one and the same. Some of the youth present at the event strongly objected to his statement and demanded that Munde retract his words. Due to this agitation, he had to stop his speech for some time. The controversy escalated to such an extent that it was also discussed vigorously on social media.
In Maharashtra, the Banjara community has been included in the category of Vimukta Jatis and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT). However, in states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha, the Banjara community has the status of Scheduled Tribe, while in Karnataka they have been given the status of Scheduled Caste. Against this backdrop, the Banjara community has also pressed for ST status in Maharashtra.
Dhananjay Munde's clarification
After the growing controversy, Dhananjay Munde clarified his position and said that his statement had been misunderstood. "My intention was not to hurt the sentiments of any community. Banjara and Vanjari are two different castes, but they have cultural and historical similarities. An attempt was made to distort my statement and create a controversy," he said. While supporting the demands of the Banjara community, he also demanded that the state government form a committee in this regard and take a decision at the earliest.
Munde further said that, "A decision has been taken to give Kunbi certificate to the Maratha community on the basis of the Hyderabad Gazette. Similarly, the government should also consider the demand of the Banjara community positively." He assured that he would always fight for the rights of the Banjara community.
Banjara community's demand
The Banjara community has been demanding Scheduled Tribe status in Maharashtra for a long time. This community says that their cultural and social characteristics match the criteria of the Scheduled Tribe. Leaders and activists of the Banjara community have been continuously agitating for this. A large number of people were present in the march in Beed to support this demand.
Displeasure of the Vanjari community
After Dhananjay Munde's statement, the Vanjari community has also expressed displeasure over this. Activists of the Vanjari community say that the culture and traditions of the Banjara and Vanjari communities are different and it is not right to combine the two communities. This has created tension between the two communities. Some activists criticized Munde, saying that such statements spread misunderstandings in the community and are likely to disrupt social harmony.
Political implications
There is talk in political circles that this controversy of Dhananjay Munde could affect his political career. Beed is considered his stronghold, and the Banjara and Vanjari communities are present in large numbers in this area. Therefore, the possibility of this controversy affecting the political equations in his constituency cannot be ruled out. Earlier, Anjali Damania had made some serious allegations against Munde, due to which his image was in the news.