The MPSC protest in Pune may shift from the area near S M Joshi Bridge to Alka Chowk on Tilak Road if police do not cooperate with Maharashtra Public Service Commission aspirants, NCP MLA Rohit Pawar said on Thursday.
The agitation, which began on October 1, has entered its ninth day and is seeking the resignation of MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar. Protesters have also demanded changes to address concerns over alleged irregularities in the commission’s functioning and issues affecting candidates.
Police asked the protesters to vacate the site near S M Joshi Bridge, citing the absence of permission, traffic congestion and disruption to residents’ daily lives. The police suggested that the protesters apply for permission to hold the agitation near the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar statue close to the district collector’s office.
According to the report, the police indicated that such a request would be considered favourably. The protesters and Pawar, however, refused to leave the existing location. The disagreement led to a brief spell of tension at the site.
“If the police do not cooperate with us, we will go and sit at Alka Chowk. Vehicles are being deliberately sent by the police to make it appear that our protest is causing traffic congestion. We are not troubling anyone, so do not trouble us. If we sit at Alka Chowk, we will not move,” Pawar said.
The dispute places the protest within a familiar civic-management challenge: authorities must regulate public demonstrations in busy urban areas while protesters seek visibility and access to locations that can attract public attention. In this case, the police cited congestion and disruption, while the protesters rejected the allegation that they were causing inconvenience.
The proposed alternative near the district collector’s office would place the demonstration closer to a government administrative centre. The police said the protesters could seek permission for the location, but the report does not state whether a formal application had been submitted or approved.
The protest has continued around demands linked to the functioning of MPSC, the state commission responsible for conducting examinations and recruitment processes for government posts. For aspirants, decisions concerning examinations and administrative procedures can directly affect preparation, eligibility and access to public-sector recruitment opportunities.
At the protest site, demonstrators also paid tribute to actor Nana Patekar. Pawar described Patekar as a sensitive and talented personality with a strong sense of social responsibility and recalled his simplicity, forthrightness and humanitarian outlook.
The immediate next step remains the police response to the protest’s location and any request to shift the agitation near the district collector’s office. Pawar’s warning indicates that Alka Chowk could become the next site if the disagreement over the current location is not resolved.
