Mumbai, Oct 12: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Monday accused the Central government of resorting to “cowardly” dictatorial tactics to crush “widespread” anti-government demonstrations across the country.

Its criticism comes in the wake of a security clampdown in the national capital and Mumbai on October 10, during which thousands of protesters, student activists, and key opposition figures were detained.

The Thackeray camp in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, said that the Central government deployed armed security personnel — recalled from anti-terror and anti-Naxalite operations in regions such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Manipur — to enforce an unprecedented blockade across Delhi.

Access routes and alleys across the national capital were sealed, while an estimated force of nearly 1,00,000 armed personnel surrounded the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Krishna Menon Road. The aggressive security grid disrupted public infrastructure, shutting down internet services, metro transit, local bus networks, incoming long-distance trains and commercial flights. Police reportedly boarded an aircraft to detain key political leaders, including Dipankar Bhattacharya and Manoj Jha, claimed the editorial.

Despite the widespread logistical shutdown, large crowds of students and civil society members reached protest venues in Delhi. During the crackdown, police arrested former Chief Ministers, including former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, the editorial stated.

In Mumbai, police detained Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, as he attempted to lead a peaceful satyagraha towards August Kranti Maidan. The action drew immediate resistance from opposition leaders, with Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and party workers marching to the DN Nagar police station to demand his immediate release, the editorial said.

The editorial highlighted growing international scrutiny over India’s internal security operations. The United Nations Human Rights Office expressed deep concern over the arbitrary detentions, the heavy-handed police conduct, and reports of female demonstrators being dragged into prison vans and taken to undisclosed locations. The UN urged Indian authorities to uphold the fundamental right to peaceful assembly and release all arbitrarily detained citizens. In addition, global news outlets, including The New York Times and major London dailies, featured photos of the crackdown, observing that Indian democracy faces a severe crisis.

Rebutting statements from BJP leaders and state media portraying the demonstrations as a “flop show”, the Thackeray camp asserted that the government’s panicked reliance on iron-fisted policing demonstrated its underlying vulnerability.

The editorial alleged a decade-long pattern of public harassment, treasury exploitation, and electoral manipulation. “When a dictator is afraid, the demon within him builds armed steel walls for self-protection, but these walls are inevitably destroyed by the rebellion of the people,” the editorial declared, claiming that public outrage over governance issues has reached a tipping point.

Mumbai/Pune, Oct 12: In a major development surrounding the alleged Maharashtra Public Service Commission paper leak controversy, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar has announced his decision to proceed on leave until the state-ordered judicial inquiry into the matter is completed.

The decision came around 1.24 a.m. on Monday, after the Maharashtra government, late Sunday night, constituted an inquiry panel. It appointed senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as its Secretary to thoroughly overhaul the Commission’s examination processes and investigate allegations of paper leaks and administrative irregularities.

Following these dual announcements, competitive exam aspirants in Pune called off their 11-day-long street protest.

In his post on X, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar emphasised his commitment to transparency and administrative integrity. “The state government has announced a judicial inquiry into the MPSC paper leak case. Throughout my entire life, I have always prioritised ethics. Therefore, I have decided to go on leave during this period instead of continuing to serve in the post until this inquiry is completed. The autonomy, credibility, and interests of students of the MPSC have always been my priority, and they will continue to be so in the future. Jai Hind! Jai Maharashtra,” he said.

The decision came following a marathon midnight meeting between state Public Works Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale, political leaders, and a delegation of protesting students. In a gesture of goodwill after the breakthrough, the protesting aspirants applauded and expressed gratitude to the police officers deployed at the site.

Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale, along with leaders like MLAs Rohit Pawar and Vishwajeet Kadam, held extensive positive discussions with the students, assuring them that the state stands with them.

To address systemic flaws and recommend comprehensive administrative reforms in the MPSC, the state government has proposed a high-level inquiry and review committee headed by former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Dilip Bhosale.

The Committee’s members include Former Justice P.D. Naik, Senior Administrative Officer Tukaram Mundhe (who will also serve as the Committee Secretary), Retired Secretary Ganesh Patil and Inspector General of Police Lakhmi Gautam. The committee has been tasked with studying structural flaws in MPSC operations and submitting a detailed reform report within two months.

Thousands of competitive exam candidates, under the banner of various student rights organisations, had been staging demonstrations near Navi Peth and SM Joshi Bridge in Pune for over a week.

With the government conceding to key demands, including setting up an independent probe and the step-down of top leadership, the agitators announced late Sunday that the protest stands temporarily suspended.

NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who participated in the protest alongside the students, welcomed the government’s concessions. While maintaining that the primary demand was the Chairman’s resignation, he stated that the government ultimately met the core demands and successfully established a high-level committee to overhaul the commission.

Speaking to the media, Rohit Pawar remarked, “Although it was delayed, the government has accepted the students’ demands. While our primary demand was a resignation, keeping the students’ examinations in mind, we decided to suspend the agitation. This victory belongs to the unity of the students.”

He also announced that he will now proceed on a tour of drought-affected regions in Vidarbha.

Rohit Pawar acknowledged that while the government did not force an immediate resignation — sending Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar on leave instead — they stepped back significantly to meet the students’ grievances. “The children took one step back, but the government took ten steps back,” he noted.

He praised the unprecedented solidarity shown by aspirants in Pune, alongside leaders and supporters like Pramod Patil, who backed the movement. He emphasised that the administration has been given a strict timeframe to implement improvements, warning that accountability will remain a priority.

Mumbai, Oct 12: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday raised questions over the recent MPSC student protests, asking whether the movement was truly meant to address student grievances or served as a launchpad for NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar’s political ambitions.

The BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute, who was instrumental in organising a meeting of agitating MPSC aspirants with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to find a way out, expressed gratitude to the CM for addressing student concerns with sensitivity and holding discussions with student representatives for the fourth time to find a constructive solution.

However, he challenged Rohit Pawar to clarify what the students ultimately gained from the protests and who benefited politically.

Addressing the core of the controversy, Pachpute stated that while CM Fadnavis accepted most student demands on September 30, the demand for the resignation of the MPSC chairperson did not fall directly under the state government’s jurisdiction. “If the Chief Minister had the direct authority to dismiss the Chairman, he would have taken appropriate action much earlier. Even though there are constitutional limitations, Rohit Pawar insisted on continuing the protest,” he said.

He questioned the rationale behind keeping the agitation alive after the primary demands had already been met, noting that a clear divide eventually emerged between genuine students and political activists participating in the movement.

Referring to the legal and institutional aspects, Pachpute explained that state governments do not have the direct power to remove the chairperson of a constitutional body like the MPSC, as it requires a specific procedure under Article 317 of the Constitution.

“The government adopted a constitutional approach. Once the judicial inquiry process began, the chairperson went on leave. Had a positive approach towards the inquiry process been accepted on September 30 itself, the subsequent conflict could have been avoided, eliminating the need for such a massive uproar,” he added.

Pachpute accused certain political figures of attempting to sensationalise the issue by inviting various politicians, influential personalities, and artists to the protest platform. He alleged that the focus shifted from solving student problems to gaining personal publicity and political mileage.

To illustrate his point on misplaced priorities, Pachpute offered a cautionary analogy for students, warning them not to get distracted by political agendas at the expense of their careers and studies. “Students prepare and struggle to become officers through competitive exams, not to serve as stepping stones for political leaders,” he asserted. “Rohit Pawar must now give a straightforward answer — what did the students actually get from this protest, and who reaped the political benefits?” he asked.

Pachpute’s reaction comes hours after the agitating MPSC aspirants called off their 11-day protest in Pune, demanding MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar’s resignation in connection with paper leaks after the state government announced the formation of a high-level committee headed by retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Dilip Bhosale to study structural flaws in MPSC operations and submit a detailed reform report within two months. Subsequently, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar at 1.24 a.m. on Monday announced on X that he is going on leave until the probe is completed.

Rohit Pawar remarked, “Although it was delayed, the government has accepted the students’ demands. While our primary demand was a resignation, keeping the students’ examinations in mind, we decided to suspend the agitation. This victory belongs to the unity of the students.”

Pawar acknowledged that while the government did not force an immediate resignation — sending Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar on leave instead — they stepped back significantly to meet the students’ grievances. “The children took one step back, but the government took ten steps back,” he noted.

He praised the unprecedented solidarity shown by aspirants in Pune, alongside leaders and supporters like Pramod Patil, who backed the movement. He emphasised that the administration has been given a strict timeframe to implement improvements, warning that accountability will remain a priority.