The MPSC protest in Pune continued at the S M Joshi bridge near Patrakar Bhavan in Navi Peth despite police denying permission for the demonstration, with hundreds gathering at night and six protesters remaining on hunger strike for the fifth consecutive day, according to the Indian Express.
The protest is demanding reforms in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission and the resignation of its chairman, Vivek Bhimanvar. Protesters Pramod Patil and Pramod Gite had written to the police on Wednesday seeking permission to hold the agitation at the bridge. In response, DCP (Special Branch) Prashant Amrutkar issued them a notice under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, denying permission for the protest at the location.
The notice directed the protesters to vacate the area immediately. It said the police would consider applications for an alternative protest site near the Dr B R Ambedkar statue outside the Pune District Collectorate. DCP Amrutkar confirmed that the notice had been issued late on Wednesday and said the police had not received any communication seeking permission for the alternate location.
The bridge has remained a point of tension between the protesters and the police because of the impact on vehicle movement. During the day, when the crowd was smaller, vehicles were allowed to pass through one side of the bridge. Rohit Pawar, who has been at the forefront of the protest, objected when vehicles were allowed through as demonstrators gathered in the evening. He told the police that the protesters had sought permission but had not received it.
The police notice cited a warning of a Pune bandh allegedly given by Pawar as one of the reasons for refusing permission. Without naming him, the notice described the statement as inciting and said it had created a feeling of insecurity among citizens. The notice also stated that protesters had called an agitation for October 2 over demands raised by students preparing for MPSC examinations.
According to the police account cited in the notice, the Chief Minister had agreed to most of the demands presented by student representatives during a meeting on September 30. A letter was subsequently submitted to the police cancelling the October 2 protest. The notice said that a protest nevertheless began at the S M Joshi bridge from October 1 without permission or prior intimation, and that the Vishrambag police station informed protesters in writing that the agitation was illegal.
The police also referred to directions issued by the Bombay High Court on October 7 while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Pune residents Amit Supekar and Saurabh Veerkar. The petitioners had raised concerns about inconvenience to the public caused by the protest. The court, as quoted in the notice, acknowledged the right to peaceful and lawful protest but said there should be no unnecessary blockades on public spaces such as bridges and roads that adversely affect the daily life of Pune residents. It also directed the state to take reasonable steps to ensure that road flow was not affected by protest-related blockages.
Another protest at Alka Talkies was called off after the High Court order. However, an agitation on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road, focused mainly on the demand for an objective pattern in MPSC examinations, continued on Thursday. Organiser Nitin Andhale said that the protesters there had also initially sought police permission but had not received a response. The police have offered the Collectorate site as an alternative location for the S M Joshi bridge protest, but no application for that site had been received as of the latest police statement cited in the report.
