The Pune protest by Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants entered its tenth day on Saturday as student representatives submitted a proposal seeking an inquiry into commission chairperson Vivek Bhimanwar and his removal from office until the inquiry is completed.
The proposal was sent to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during continuing negotiations between the government and protesting students at S. M. Joshi Bridge in Pune. The students are demanding the resignation of the MPSC chairperson along with action on other concerns, but no settlement had been reached when the report was published.
According to the proposal submitted by the students’ delegation, an inquiry committee should be formed to examine the functioning of the commission. The delegation has also asked that five members recommended by the protesters be included in the committee. The proposal names retired Justice Abhay Oka as the suggested chairperson and Tukaram Munde as the proposed secretary.
The students have further demanded that Bhimanwar be kept away from the post until the inquiry is completed. The government’s response to these demands is expected to determine the next course of the agitation, according to the report.
The protest continued at S. M. Joshi Bridge on Saturday, where the arrival of a police vehicle equipped with a mobile jammer briefly created tension. Police reportedly told protesters that live streaming from the site would not be possible. Nationalist Congress Party legislator Rohit Pawar spoke with the students and suggested shifting the protest to Tilak Chowk.
A delegation of protesters subsequently held discussions with the police for about an hour. The mobile jammer was switched off after the talks, and the protest continued at the site. The episode brought an operational issue into the public demonstration: students were seeking to communicate the protest through live broadcasts while police controls affected the use of mobile connectivity at the location.
The students also staged a symbolic protest by carrying plates and spoons and creating a loud demonstration, or thaalinaad, to express opposition to the government. Protesters raised slogans and performed to songs criticising Bhimanwar. Pawar also joined the students for a short time during the demonstration.
The negotiations are aimed at reaching a decision acceptable to both the government and the protesting aspirants. The immediate unresolved questions are whether the government will accept the proposed inquiry structure, whether the MPSC chairperson will be removed from his post during the inquiry and whether the students will suspend their agitation.
The protest will continue to be shaped by the government’s response to the delegation’s proposal. Until a decision is announced, the students’ agitation at the Pune site remains ongoing.
