The Pune MPSC protest entered its tenth day on Saturday amid allegations by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar that police were filing cases and issuing notices to participating students to weaken the agitation. Pawar met senior police officials at Vishrambaug police station and submitted applications seeking permission for the protest, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Pawar alleged that the police were targeting students instead of registering a case against him, although he had also participated in the protest. “As a people’s representative, even though I was participating in the MPSC students’ protest, police are deliberately filing cases against the students instead of me and harassing them,” he said.
The MLA claimed that police action included filing cases and serving notices on students taking part in the agitation. He described the action as an attempt to break the protest and said the movement would continue until the chairperson of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission resigned over allegations of corruption.
The protest has been continuing in Pune for nine days before Saturday, which marked the tenth day of the agitation. The demonstration involves MPSC aspirants, including students described by Pawar as children of farmers and labourers.
Pawar also criticised the alleged use of terms such as “terrorists”, “extremists” and “spies” for the protesting students. He condemned the Pune police and appealed to the Maharashtra chief minister to intervene in the conduct of officers in the department.
The MLA demanded that a case be registered against him as well, arguing that he should face the same action as the students because he had participated in the protest. His meeting at Vishrambaug police station and the applications submitted there were presented as efforts to seek formal permission for the continuing demonstration.
The allegations place the handling of the MPSC agitation within the broader administrative question of how public authorities manage prolonged student protests in a major education and examination centre. The report did not include a response from Pune police or details of the cases and notices allegedly issued to students. The protest and Pawar’s demand for the resignation of the MPSC chairperson are continuing.
