BJP MP Sambhaji Chhatrapati demands postponement of MPSC exam scheduled for Oct 11

BJP MP Sambhaji Chhatrapati has demanded that the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exam scheduled for October 11 be postponed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If it is not postponed, Maratha students will vandalise the exam centres, the Rajya Sabha member said on Wednesday in Navi Mumbai during a meeting of the community members seeking reservations in government jobs and education.

He said the exam is being conducted for 200 seats in government jobs, but the number of aspirants is as high as two lakh.

What if students contract the coronavirus? Who will be responsible for it? asked the BJP leader, who is a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

"The Maharashtra Public Service Commission exam scheduled on Sunday should be postponed because the COVID-19 situation in the state is still grim. If the exam is not postponed, students from the Maratha community will vandalise the exam centres," the BJP leader said.

He also said the state government should extend the age limit for the exam and hold it later.

The MPSC conducts recruitment examinations for Group A, B and C posts, among others, in the state administration.

All these exams are generally held in April-May, but have been delayed this year because of the COVID-19 outbreak.