MPSC aspirants shift Pune protest to Sept 27

MPSC aspirants have postponed their proposed Pune agitation to September 27, citing Ganesh immersion and police deployment

PUNE: MPSC aspirants have postponed their proposed Pune agitation by a day, citing Ganesh immersion and police deployment. A sit-in protest will now be held on September 27.

MPSC aspirants have postponed their proposed Pune agitation to September 27, citing Ganesh immersion and police deployment. (Getty Images/iStockphoto (PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who met Pune Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Darade along with student representatives on Tuesday, said the students postponed the date to avoid adding to the police’s burden.

The students have sought permission for the protest, scheduled to begin at 10 am on the S M Joshi Bridge stretch between Abasaheb Garware College and the Pune Journalists’ Association.

Pawar said the students would proceed with the agitation even if permission was not granted. The police had not formally granted permission for the protest as of Tuesday evening.

The students have also sought discussions with the government before the protest. Pawar said a list of 15 student representatives was submitted to the police, and urged the government to engage with them to resolve the grievances.

The protest will focus on demanding the resignation of MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar and the appointment of a new chairman after consulting student representatives and conducting examinations offline.

Pawar said that the government still has an opportunity to address the students’ concerns through talks before the September 27 protest.