The MPSC student protest in Pune intensified on Sunday after MLA Rohit Pawar warned the Maharashtra government against shielding the commission’s chairman and urged it to address the demands of competitive-examination candidates. Pawar said the government should take a decision by the evening, or face a larger protest involving students, parents and citizens.
Speaking at a press conference, Pawar alleged that the Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairman was being protected because of his proximity to the chief minister. He said the focus should not remain limited to the chairman and that the government would also be held responsible if the concerns of students were not addressed.
Pawar said his group had submitted a draft for what he described as a “purification” or reform process to the government. He said many of the students affected by the dispute were children of poor families, farmers and agricultural labourers. His remarks were framed as a warning that continued inaction could lead to wider public mobilisation.
The MLA also criticised the police response to student protests in Pune, Mumbai and Delhi. He said he respected the Maharashtra Police but alleged that the manner in which students were handled in Pune had damaged the force’s public image. The report did not include a response from the police or the state government to these allegations.
Referring to protests in Delhi, Pawar alleged that a large police deployment, extensive barricading and restrictions on rail, metro and public transport had affected the movement of people. He also alleged that demonstrator Abhijit Dipke had been detained and was not allowed to make a phone call after the death of his grandmother. These claims were made by Pawar at the press conference and were not independently confirmed in the report.
Pawar further raised the issue of Maharashtra students who, he said, were detained in Madhya Pradesh while travelling to Delhi and later brought to Pune. He said discussions had been held with senior Pune police officers to request that female students be allowed to return home. According to Pawar, the students were released, although some experienced difficulty because of the delay.
The MLA also demanded a wider inquiry into the controversy, extending from officials at the lowest level to the commission chairman. He said a judicial inquiry had been discussed during a meeting with a delegation, but questioned whether an investigation would be transparent while the chairman remained in office. Pawar proposed that an officer such as Tukaram Mundhe be included on the inquiry committee.
Responding to criticism that the protests were politically motivated, Pawar said the chief minister should meet students directly instead of remaining in an office. He described his political activity as social work and also criticised alleged government spending on VIP vehicles and a private programme in London. The report did not provide supporting documents for those spending claims.
Pawar’s call for a decision by the evening and his warning of further protests were the immediate next steps mentioned at the press conference. No formal government decision or independent inquiry announcement was reported in the supplied account.
