Growing Support Bolsters MPSC Aspirants’ Protest
(Representative Image / AI Generated)
Pune: The MPSC Protest Pune movement has widened significantly, with a growing list of political parties, student organisations, and civil society leaders extending their support to the satyagraha at S M Joshi Bridge.
What began as a focused protest over alleged paper leaks and recruitment delays has now evolved into a broader movement, drawing endorsements from across the political spectrum and from civil society groups.
The Trigger: Drug Inspector Paper Leak
The unrest intensified following the cancellation of the Drug Inspector (Group-B) recruitment after a confirmed question-paper leak in the March 2026 screening examination.
The leak led to the arrest of several individuals, including MPSC officials. It was the clearest evidence yet of the irregularities that aspirants had been alleging for months — and it galvanised students across Maharashtra into action.
The Vidyarthi Aakrosh Morcha (September 7)
The first major show of strength came on September 7, 2026, when thousands of aspirants marched through Pune in the “Vidyarthi Aakrosh Morcha.”
The march began at Omkareshwar Temple Chowk and ended at the Pune District Collectorate. It was the largest single demonstration of the movement so far, and it set the stage for the sustained agitation that has followed.
MPSC Protest Pune : Growing Political Support
The march on September 7 drew immediate political backing, and that support has only widened since.
Rohit Pawar (NCP-SP)
Rohit Pawar, MLA and NCP (SP) leader, has been the most visible political supporter of the protest. He has maintained an active presence at the S M Joshi Bridge site and has repeatedly demanded the resignation of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar.
In a post on X, Pawar said: “The person currently holding this post was in charge when the paper leak occurred. He also faced corruption allegations during his tenure as RTO Commissioner. What is the point of retaining such a person in that position?”
He has also warned that the agitation will continue whether or not police permission is granted.
Supriya Sule (NCP-SP)
Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament and NCP (SP) leader, participated in the September 7 march and has publicly endorsed the students’ demands. She went further than the students’ own demand, calling for the removal of the entire MPSC management body, not just the chairman.
Sule has also called for constructive dialogue with the Chief Minister and has facilitated mediation efforts between the students and the government.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar urged the government to initiate immediate talks with student representatives, offering his own participation if required. He confirmed that he had already had a telephonic discussion with the Chief Minister on the matter.
Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena UBT)
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut announced a visit to a Pune protest venue, describing the matter as fundamental to Maharashtra’s future.
In a post on X, Raut said: “The government is showering verbal assurances on these demands — a fair inquiry into the MPSC scam, immediate recruitment to thousands of vacant posts. But the protest is not stopping. On the contrary, attempts are being made to split the students and notices have been served.”
Aaditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT)
Aaditya Thackeray was among the early political figures to extend support to the MPSC aspirants following the September 7 march.
Manoj Jarange Patil (Maratha Quota Activist)
Manoj Jarange Patil, the prominent Maratha quota activist, also extended his backing to the students’ cause, connecting the MPSC agitation to broader questions of social justice and equal access to government jobs.
Vishwajit Kadam (Congress MLA)
Vishwajit Kadam, Congress MLA, has been actively involved in supporting the protest and has visited the protest sites.
Harshwardhan Sapkal (Maharashtra Congress Chief)
Harshwardhan Sapkal, the state unit chief of Congress, joined the protest sites on October 3–4, further strengthening the opposition’s solidarity with the students.
Dhananjay Munde (NCP)
Minister Dhananjay Munde also engaged with one of the student groups, telling students that the Chief Minister had assured that upcoming examinations would continue in the objective format.
On Sunday, the support base widened further with several new endorsements.
Students’ Federation of India (SFI)
Photo: Via X / @RRPSpeaks
A delegation from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) Maharashtra visited the S M Joshi Bridge protest site and handed over a formal letter of support to the students. The delegation included SFI leaders Rohit Das Jadhav and Somnath Nirmal.
The MPSC Protest Pune has now drawn support from across the political spectrum, reflecting the depth of dissatisfaction with the commission’s functioning.
Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’
Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’, the founder of the Bhim Army and the Azad Samaj Party, sent a message of solidarity to the protesting students. While he did not visit the site in person, his endorsement connects the MPSC agitation to a broader national conversation about social justice and equal opportunity.
Adv. Ajit Abhyankar (CPI-M)
Adv. Ajit Abhyankar, a senior social worker, writer, economic analyst, and leader of the CPI(M), visited the protest site and extended his support. Abhyankar has a long history of fighting for the rights of workers, farmers, and marginalized communities.
Abhijeet Dipke (CJP)
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), visited the S M Joshi Bridge site and extended his support to the students’ satyagraha.
CJP has been actively supporting the agitation since September, when its national organisation head Ajinkya Shinde participated in the ‘Vidyarthi Aakrosh Morcha.’
Sameer Shaikh (Kayastha Jan Seva Samiti)
Sameer Shaikh of the Kayastha Jan Seva Samiti visited the protest and extended his support. In his message, he criticised the government, saying that those who raise their voice against injustice are being labelled “anti-social” while the real culprits go unpunished.
Sharad Tandale, a writer, publisher, and industrialist, along with Congress leader Balaji Patil, visited the site, held discussions with the students, and extended their support.
Parallel Protests Beyond Pune
The agitation is not confined to Pune. Parallel protests have been reported in Nagpur and other parts of Maharashtra, indicating that the dissatisfaction with the MPSC extends well beyond the city.
MPSC Aspirants’ Protest : The Government’s Response
Following a meeting on September 30 between a student delegation and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state government agreed to several measures:
- Transfer of the MPSC secretary
- A judicial inquiry into the conduct of current and former chairpersons and members under Article 317 of the Constitution
- Expansion of certain vacancy categories
- Retention of offline examinations
Based on these assurances, some students temporarily suspended their protest. Others, however, resumed activity within days, resulting in the division into distinct groups by early October.
MPSC Aspirants’ Protest : Why the Support Matters
The widening support base is significant for three reasons:
1. It puts more pressure on the government. When opposition parties, civil society leaders, and national figures all back the same cause, the government finds it harder to dismiss the agitation as a minor student issue.
2. It gives the students legitimacy. Support from respected figures like Ajit Abhyankar and Sharad Tandale reinforces that the students’ demands are reasonable and deserve a serious response.
3. It broadens the movement’s reach. With SFI, Bhim Army, and national political parties backing the protest, the agitation is now connected to larger conversations about student rights, social justice, and transparency in government recruitment.
What the Students Are Saying
Organisers have consistently maintained that the agitation remains fundamentally non-political and centred on safeguarding students’ professional prospects, notwithstanding the growing involvement of political figures.
“We are not fighting for any political party. We are fighting for our future. Everyone who believes in justice is welcome to stand with us,” one student representative said.
Participants have indicated readiness to escalate the movement should core demands remain unaddressed.
MPSC Aspirants’ Protest : What Happens Next
The immediate period ahead will determine whether sustained dialogue can resolve the outstanding issues or whether the expanding base of support will further amplify the agitation.
While the state government has initiated certain measures through the Chief Minister’s meeting and a high-level reforms committee, the persistence of fragmented yet determined protests — coupled with sustained opposition solidarity — highlights enduring concerns regarding the credibility of Maharashtra’s principal recruitment institution.
The MPSC Protest Pune will continue until the students’ core demands are addressed, according to representatives at the site.
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