Rohit Pawar gives govt till evening on MPSC protest, asks Fadnavis to put students first

The students' agitation at S. M. Joshi bridge in Pune, demanding the resignation of Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) chairman Bhimanwar, entered its 11th day today. The protest has heated up the state's politics. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar has given the state government until this evening to take a decision.

Pawar warned that if the government does not talk to the students and resolve their demands, the direction of the agitation will look different tomorrow. He said he would announce the next step of the agitation at 7 pm today.

Pawar demanded that the government take the students' questions seriously and decide on their demands. He claimed that around 25 lakh students are connected to the issue, directly or indirectly. He appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to put the students' future first rather than side with his friend. According to Pawar, the draft the students have prepared for improving the MPSC's functioning has already been placed before the government and has the students' support.

The cases registered against students during the agitation have also become an issue. A case was registered against 15 students two days ago. On Saturday, it emerged that cases had been registered against 5 more people over flying a drone. Against this backdrop, Pawar himself went to Vishrambaug police station and demanded that a case be registered against him as well. He said the police told him a decision would be taken after an inquiry.

Responding to remarks by BJP leader Gopichand Padalkar, Pawar alleged that the agitating students are being called "urban Naxals" and "mental Naxals", and are being accused of protesting for money. He said that calling the students' agitation a "spectacle" amounts to mocking the children of poor students, farmers and farm labourers.

Pawar said the demand to remove the MPSC chairman from the post has stood from the start. He demanded an inquiry into everyone at the commission, from the watchman to the chairman. In his view, the inquiry committee should have capable and impartial officers, and officers such as Tukaram Mundhe should also be involved in the process.

Pawar also questioned the government's spending and priorities. He said the state is facing drought conditions, yet no assistance has been announced for farmers, farm labourers and students. He questioned the purchase of vehicles for VIPs worth Rs 12.68 crore. He also claimed that money had been spent on a London trip and that Rs 5 crore was spent on an event of a private company.

All eyes are now on 7 pm, when Pawar will set out the next direction of the agitation. Students and political circles are watching what stance the government takes on the protest. Whether the government talks to the students and finds a solution, or the agitation intensifies, will become clear from the developments ahead.