An editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday referred to protests by thousands of competitive examination aspirants in Pune, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Amravati. The protesters have demanded the removal of the MPSC leadership, an impartial investigation into the alleged paper leak and greater transparency in competitive examinations.
The editorial criticised what it described as systemic corruption within the commission and referred to the alleged leak in the MPSC Drug Inspector recruitment examination. It claimed that the alleged sale of government posts for large sums of money was undermining the aspirations of students who prepare for competitive examinations through years of hard work.
“Selling exam papers for millions of rupees shatters the dreams of hardworking students aspiring for government jobs. While small-time operatives have been targeted, students express anger that key orchestrators and high-level backers of the paper leak syndicate remain free,” it noted.
The Thackeray-led party also questioned the police action, alleging that while lower-level accused were being targeted, the alleged masterminds and politically connected individuals behind the racket had not been brought to justice.
Taking a broader political swipe at the state government, the editorial said, “Those sitting in the commission leak exam papers, while those sitting in government leak political parties, MLAs, and corporators. Both are in the same business.”
It also referred to posters displayed during protests in Pune that asked, “Have you been seated in power only to break MLAs?”
The editorial held Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the state leadership responsible for failing to prevent recurring examination paper leaks, alleging that such incidents were damaging the careers of young aspirants.
The Thackeray camp also criticised state ministers for allegedly failing to engage directly with protesting students. It contrasted the current government with the governance model associated with Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, under which ministers were expected to meet protesters and address public grievances directly.
The party demanded the arrest of all those allegedly involved in the paper leak, including the masterminds.
“A government born out of splits and defections can yield nothing but leaks. Do not play with fire. If the rising tide of student rage turns into a wildfire, this broken government will be completely reduced to ashes,” the editorial remarked.
The remarks underline the growing political pressure over the concerns raised by competitive examination aspirants in Maharashtra, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) demanding accountability, an impartial investigation and action against those allegedly responsible for the MPSC paper leak.
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