NCP MLA Rohit Pawar has said he will arrange a legal team for MPSC aspirants facing police action in Pune, while demanding that permission for their protest be restored on S.M. Joshi Marg. The announcement comes amid allegations that serious sections were applied in the FIRs filed against protesting competitive-examination candidates.
According to a report by Pudhari – Pune, Pawar described the police action against the aspirants as unjustified and questioned claims recorded in the FIRs. He alleged that incorrect information had been included in the police complaints and specifically claimed that the name of Rishi Gangurde appeared in an FIR even though he was not present at the location. These claims were made by Pawar and were not independently established in the supplied report.
Pawar said the students would be provided legal assistance and argued that their concerns should be heard before coercive action is taken. Referring to a judicial order, he said the court had adopted a position that the MPSC aspirants should be heard and given an opportunity to present their side. The supplied report does not provide the text or details of the order.
The dispute also centres on the use of S.M. Joshi Marg as the protest site. Pawar said a permission had earlier been granted for the demonstration on October 2, but was subsequently cancelled by the police. He claimed that a fresh request had been submitted to the police and that permission had still not been granted.
Pawar maintained that the protest should continue at the same location, rejecting the possibility of shifting it elsewhere. He said the site had been selected after considering the need to avoid inconvenience to Pune residents and prevent obstruction near hospitals and residential areas. The disagreement places the management of public roads and protest rights at the centre of the dispute.
Pawar also objected to preventive orders issued by the Pune police commissioner. He alleged that police action against examination candidates was being pursued with greater urgency than action against people allegedly carrying weapons elsewhere. The report does not provide the police department’s response to this comparison.
The protest is linked to allegations of irregularities in the functioning of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission and demands concerning the commission’s chairperson, according to Pawar. He described the movement as connected to the protection of constitutional rights and urged citizens who could not travel to Delhi for protests to support the aspirants in Pune.
Pawar further warned that if the aspirants were forcibly removed, ordinary citizens would stand behind them. The immediate next steps are the police response to the request for permission on S.M. Joshi Marg and the legal proceedings involving the FIRs filed against the protesters.
