BHOPAL: More than thousand PSC selected assistant professor candidates started their dharna in the state capital on Sunday. In all 52 candidates also tonsured their head as mark of protest.
PSC selected candidates along with their family members marched from Bairagrah to Neelam Park and staged a sit in demanding appointment letter from the higher education department. The protest march started from Mhow on November 24 in which hundreds of candidates came to state capital on foot.
The PSC selected candidates are now getting support from other organizations like the AJAKS. Representatives and office bearers from AJAKS reached Neelam Park on Sunday and expressed solidarity with the selected candidates.
About 52 candidates shaved their heads as a mark of protest. Some women candidates also came forward to shave their head but president of the association stopped them from taking the big step.
Association president Prakash Khatarkar said that women candidates should not be tonsured as men candidates are volunteering in large numbers.
“We are here on dharna and will not go anywhere till we get our appointment letters,” said Neeraj Malviya, spokesperson of the association.
The association has decided that they will remain on hunger strike at the Neelam Park from Monday. District administration has given the association permission for protest on Sunday only. Members of the association apprehend that they might be asked to leave the venue by police on Monday.
“We are protesting peacefully and obeying all constitutional norms. Our protest yatra is also named as Save Constitution Yatra. We will protest in Gandhian manner even if police uses force against us,” added Malviya.
No representative from the government or higher education department visited the protesting candidates late evening till Sunday.