Opposition Leaders Back Pune MPSC Protests Amid Exam Scandal

Fahad Ahmad characterized the unrest as an accumulation of 12 years of frustration, citing repeated paper leaks and governance failures. He highlighted the plight of students from farming families who sacrifice their meager resources for exams, only to face a compromised selection process. Ahmad specifically targeted MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, questioning his appointment due to past associations with a vehicle number plate scam and urging Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene and secure his resignation.

Aaditya Thackeray echoed these sentiments, labeling the students' demands for transparency as entirely reasonable. He emphasized that the protest, which has persisted for nearly a week, stems from a cycle of broken promises and institutional mismanagement. Thackeray urged the demonstrators to escalate their movement by taking their grievances directly to the MPSC office in Mumbai. He further criticized the government for prioritizing the protection of a political ally over the academic future of thousands of rural students caught in the state’s ongoing drought crisis.