Amidst statewide student protests demanding the resignation of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, activists from the Sambhaji Brigade smeared black ink on the face of MPSC Secretary Mahendra Harpalkar in Navi Mumbai on Friday.
महाराष्ट्र: पेपर लीक का मुद्दा, MPSC सेक्रेटरी के चेहरे पर पोती गई कालिख, 3 गिरफ्तार
The controversy surrounding the paper leak of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) exam has intensified significantly. Amidst statewide student protests demanding the resignation of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, activists from the Sambhaji Brigade smeared black ink on the face of MPSC Secretary Mahendra Harpalkar in Navi Mumbai on Friday.
Video of the incident goes viral
A video of the incident went viral rapidly on social media, reflecting the growing anger among students preparing for competitive exams in major hubs like Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Justifying the act, Sambhaji Brigade state spokesperson Santosh Shinde stated that the protest reflects the frustration of 25 lakh MPSC aspirants and the 12 crore citizens of Maharashtra.
Shinde said, “Smearing ink on MPSC official Mahendra Harpalkar and slapping him is akin to a direct slap from the public to this corrupt system and incompetent government.”
Rohit Pawar’s reaction to the incident
Reacting to the attack on the MPSC Secretary, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad faction) MLA Rohit Pawar acknowledged the students’ anger but distanced his party from the violent act.
He said, “There is no doubt that the MPSC Chairman and Secretary have jeopardized students’ futures through paper leaks and corruption, and there is immense anger among the students; however, our protest must remain within constitutional bounds. The Constitution given by Babasaheb Ambedkar is very powerful, and we will certainly succeed through it. The constitutional path is the right path. We never endorse acts like throwing ink at anyone.”
What did Vijay Wadettiwar say?
Congress Legislative Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar stated that the incident of blackening the face of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Secretary is the result of deep resentment and anger among lakhs of students and parents towards the state government. He said, “We do not support this violence. No one should take the law into their own hands; however, the government must now treat this incident with the utmost seriousness and not wait for such outbursts of anger to occur. Ignoring the demands and sentiments of students could prove costly for the government. Therefore, concrete steps must be taken immediately, or else this public anger will only escalate.”
Protests Against Paper Leaks
Recently, students have staged protests against paper leaks in the national capital, Delhi, as well as in Patna, Ranchi, and several cities across Maharashtra. Following a prolonged agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Dharmendra Pradhan had to resign from the post of Union Education Minister. Meanwhile, students in Patna, the capital of Bihar, have also taken to the streets to protest against paper leaks, and student demonstrations are still ongoing in several cities across Maharashtra.
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