1 day ago
Two MPSC Protests Continue After Bombay High Court Hearing
Students in Pune are protesting and asking for changes to the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.
Two protest sites remained active, while a third protest ended.
The largest gathering, at SM Joshi bridge, had been going for seven days.
Some protesters were fasting, although the article gives conflicting numbers about how many.
The Bombay High Court heard a case brought by two Pune residents who said the protests were causing inconvenience.
The court said the claims about accountability in a paper leak case deserved consideration.
It also said protesters should get police permission and move if necessary.
Rohit Pawar said the protesters would not go to Mumbai and that state ministers might come to meet them.
Two of three protests in Pune demanding Maharashtra Public Service Commission reforms continued; a third at Alka Talkies was withdrawn.
The main protest at SM Joshi bridge entered its seventh day, with Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar MLA Rohit Pawar at the forefront.
Protesters at SM Joshi bridge are demanding the resignation of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar; the article says six people were on hunger strike but lists seven names.
The Bombay High Court said the matter required consideration and that accountability should be fixed in the paper leak case; it also said protesters should have police permission and relocate if needed.
The court was hearing a public-interest petition by two Pune residents citing inconvenience, while Pawar said the petitioners were connected to a BJP corporator.
- Who
- MPSC protesters in Pune, including a group led by MLA Rohit Pawar; the Bombay High Court heard a petition by two Pune residents.
- What
- Two protests demanding MPSC reforms continued, while a third was withdrawn after a High Court hearing.
- Where
- Pune, Maharashtra, including protest sites at SM Joshi bridge, Lal Bahadur Shastri Road and Alka Talkies.
- When
- The hearing took place on Monday; the article also describes events on Wednesday night. No calendar date is given.
- Why
- Protesters are demanding reforms and accountability in a paper leak case, including the resignation of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar.
Protesters
Petitioners
Whether protests should continue at the site
Protesters
Protesters say they need a place to demonstrate and argue that accountability must be fixed in the paper leak case. The court said protests could continue with police permission and be relocated if needed.
Petitioners
Two Pune residents who filed the public-interest petition said the protests were causing inconvenience to the city’s public.
Alleged connection to a political party
Protesters
Rohit Pawar said the petitioners were connected to a BJP corporator.
Petitioners
The article reports no response from the petitioners to Pawar’s allegation.
Key facts
- Active protests
- Two of the three protests continued.
- Withdrawn protest
- The protest at Alka Talkies was called off.
- Main protest site
- SM Joshi bridge, where the protest had reached its seventh day.
- Other active site
- Lal Bahadur Shastri Road.
- Main demand
- Protesters at SM Joshi bridge are calling for MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar to resign.
- Hunger strike
- The article says six protesters were fasting but lists seven people.
- Court
- A Bombay High Court bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait M Sethna heard the matter.
Quotes
Rohit Pawar
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA involved in the protest
“Now in Pune city there is no dedicated protest place… The police check whether there are any homes, buildings, schools, hospitals, and if not then there is no problem giving permission. We have chosen this spot because there is nothing other than trees here, it is in between two crematoriums”
indianexpress.com
“Maybe the police had self-confidence as the case was in the High Court that the hearing would begin at 11 and at 11:15 the decision would be in their favour. That is why there was a huge police force here in the morning.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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