Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, 9 October firmly rejected demands for the resignation of Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar over an alleged paper leak in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Inspector recruitment examination, asserting that Bhimanwar was not in office when the irregularities reportedly occurred. Speaking in Palghar, Fadnavis simultaneously announced the government's readiness to constitute a judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge.

CM's Core Argument on Bhimanwar

'Students were informed that the Chairman whose resignation they are seeking was not in office at the time the paper leak occurred,' Fadnavis said. 'He joined after the leak took place. How can we directly demand or accept his resignation for actions that occurred prior to his tenure?' he questioned. The Chief Minister also underlined a constitutional constraint, noting that the authority to remove an MPSC Chairman rests solely with the President of India — not the state government — under Article 317.

'Even if an official is to be removed, that authority lies solely with the President of India, not the state government. If the inquiry committee submits a report finding any wrongdoing — even against someone who was not in position at the time — we are ready to recommend their removal to the President under Article 317,' he asserted.

Judicial Inquiry on the Table

Fadnavis confirmed that the government is fully prepared to initiate a judicial inquiry led by a retired judge. 'Whether it is the current Chairman, former officials, or any other officer — whoever is found guilty in that inquiry, we are ready to take strict action against them all,' he said. The announcement signals the government's attempt to offer a structured accountability mechanism while deflecting the personalised demand for Bhimanwar's ouster.

Protest Declared 'Political', High Court Orders Against Sit-in

Addressing the ongoing agitation, Fadnavis characterised the movement as having shifted from a genuine student concern to a politically orchestrated event. 'It is no longer a student agitation; it has turned entirely political and is being run like an event. Nonetheless, our government is continuously attempting to resolve the issue through dialogue,' he said. He further pointed out that the Bombay High Court has declared the current sit-in protest illegal and explicitly ruled against occupying the contested space. 'Despite the High Court's directions, the protesters remain seated in contempt of court,' he added.

Opposition Hits Back: Rohit Pawar Challenges Police Action

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) [NCP SP] MLA Rohit Pawar is leading the agitation of MPSC aspirants in Pune and has independently demanded Bhimanwar's resignation. The Pune Police have registered cases against 15 students in connection with the protest, a move Rohit Pawar has sharply contested. In a post on X, he challenged the police, saying: 'If you are so eager to file false cases, cancel the charges against the students and register cases against me instead.'

Rohit Pawar further questioned the credibility of the First Information Report (FIR), alleging factual errors. 'In the FIR description, Pramod Patil's gender is listed as female, while Priyanka Choudhary's gender is listed as male. So many errors in an FIR?' he wrote. He also alleged that named individuals — including Hrishikesh Gangurde, Omkar Patil, Gajanan Shelke, Somnath Chavan, and Sanket Kanse — were at their native villages on 1 October, the day the Satyagraha began, and could not have been at the location cited by police.

Rohit Pawar described the police action as 'government intimidation' against students and confirmed that a legal team has been assembled to defend all those charged. 'All these charges are bailable, and we have brought together a large legal team to stand by them,' he stated. The protest, which began on 1 October, continues to attract political flashpoints even as Fadnavis insists the government remains open to dialogue.