Bobby Panwar, a 27-year-old regional leader, has become the focal face of widespread protests in Uttarakhand, pressing the BJP government into action over a string of suspected paper leaks in state recruitment exams.
Panwar, president of the Swabhiman Morcha and ex-president of the Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh (Unemployed Association), brought together thousands of job hopefuls and young people, re-igniting a state movement to make people accountable.
The Spark: Another Recruitment Exam Scam
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The fresh round of protests started on Sunday following reports of a paper leak in a recruitment test organized by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (USSSC). This is the second big mass protest in Dehradun in three years related to recruitment scandals.
At the forefront, Panwar was among the organizers of the protests, which reached their peak on Thursday when protesters stormed the Parade Ground. The protest’s rallying cry, led by Panwar, read: “Paper chor, gaddi chod” (Paper thieves, resign from the chair).
Reacting to this, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has termned the paper leak as a “nakal (cheating) jihad,” and police have already arrested two suspects in the case.
From Job Seeker To Arrested Youth Leader
Born into a rural family in Lakhmandal, Dehradun, Panwar’s activism directly results from his experience as a job seeker. He had joined Berozgar Sangh in 2018 and soon became a high-profile leader who was famous for his relentless struggle against government recruitment frauds.
His youth leadership career took a dramatic turn in February 2023 when he was arrested for protesting the leakage of the 2021 USSSC paper—something that boosted his popularity significantly.
Panwar credits his inspiration to the frustration of jobless youth. “The government has done tricks with youths like me, compelling us to fight against these frauds,” he said, and added that his determination was fueled by undergoing “lathicharge, multiple cases and relentless pressure.”
He has also publicly claimed other malpractices, such as tender manipulation in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and recruitment scams in Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited and Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited.
A State Politics Contender
Panwar’s political aspirations were cemented in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when he ran as an Independent and mustered a respectable 1.6 lakh votes, coming third only behind the Congress candidate (1.9 lakh votes).
He quit the Berozgar Sangh in 2025 to establish the Swabhiman Morcha, a political front with leaders such as Tribhuvan Chauhan and Mohit Dimri of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD). Panwar characterizes the Morcha as not so much a party, but as a platform for “applying pressure on political matters.”
His political discourse is driven intently by “Uttarakhandiyat”—the culture and ideology of the state—and accuses BJP as well as Congress of pushing aside local interests.
Controversies And Political Divisions
Panwar’s fiery political approach has resulted in some police cases, such as threatening a government staffer (2023) and damaging a coaching institute (2024).
The most publicised controversy was a confrontation with then Energy Secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram at the secretariat in 2024, resulting in an FIR for threatened behavior. Panwar rejected the accusation, stating the interaction was just a “heated exchange.”
His moves have also estranged him from the UKD, the state’s only regional party. Even though the UKD had backed his 2024 Lok Sabha candidature, Panwar’s move to support Tribhuvan Chauhan against the UKD candidate in the 2025 Kedarnath bypolls was a source of major internal tensions.
This split had a clear political impact: the BJP’s Asha Nautiyal won the Kedarnath bypoll, defeating the Congress candidate by 5,622 votes, while Panwar’s supported candidate, Chauhan, polled 9,311 votes.
Congress Expresses Skepticism
Following these developments, Congress leaders have grown wary of Panwar. Senior vice-president Surya Kant Dhasmana cast doubt on the long-term viability of Panwar’s platform.
“Politics is not made on spontaneity or on movements created in the moment. It takes a clear ideology, and Panwar doesn’t have that,” Dhasmana said. He said that people from Uttarakhand have traditionally preferred national parties, and regional fronts such as the UKD have never been able to maintain relevance after the state came into being.
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