MPSC Chairman on leave after protests; Rahul Gandhi calls it victory

MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar was sent on compulsory leave following an 11-day student protest in Pune over alleged paper leaks. Rahul Gandhi and Aaditya Thackeray praised the move as a victory for students. A committee will investigate the claims.

Opposition Leaders Hail Decision

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday welcomed the sending on compulsory leave of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, saying a full investigation into corruption would now take place. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi described the development as a victory for students, youth and the movement of Satyagraha. “The Chairman of MPSC finally had to go - now there will be a full investigation into corruption. This is a big victory for the students. This is a big victory for the youth. This is a big victory for Satyagraha,” he said. Earlier today, the Maharashtra government sent Bhimanwar on compulsory leave until the completion of the inquiry into the alleged paper leak case, following an 11-day-long protest by aspirants in Pune, demanding his resignation.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also hailed the decision, saying, "Let the victory of the students' unity prevail! For nearly 11 days, students were forced to protest!! Even though there is a drought in their residential taluka, even though their families are in crisis, they were made to sit on the streets, and yesterday these young students fought against injustice and made the government bow down!"

Government Forms Investigative Committee

The remarks come after the Maharashtra government constituted a five-member committee headed by retired Bombay High Court judge Dilip Bhosale to investigate alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment examinations and examine candidates' complaints amid ongoing protests. Tukaram Mundhe, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharshtra, has been appointed as the committee's secretary. The other members include IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, former IAS officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge P D Naik.

Protesters' Demands and Assurances

The decision was announced by Maharashtra Minister Shivendraraje Bhosale after discussions on the demands of candidates protesting in Pune over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in MPSC recruitment examinations. Among the candidates' demands are the withdrawal of cases registered against protesters, recruitment to 70,000 posts over the next three years and an increase in the number of vacancies for the Group-C examination scheduled for January. The candidates have also demanded the removal of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar. However, the government's position on this demand remains unclear.

Bhosale met the protesting aspirants and announced that cases registered against students in connection with the agitation would be withdrawn. He also assured them that strict action would be taken against those found guilty in the MPSC paper leak case.

Speaking to ANI after his meeting with MPSC aspirants, Bhonsle said, "A positive stance regarding the MPSC has been established; the committee simply needed to make some technical adjustments. We have prepared those changes, and that is what is being submitted now." (ANI)

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