JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to gherao the Rajasthan state assembly on Tuesday, intensifying the party’s protest demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Rajasthan Teacher Recruitment Eligibility Test (REET) paper leak issue.
The police resorted to water cannons to disburse the activists, who forcefully tried crossing the barricades. The BJP leaders courted arrest. State BJP Chief Satish Poonia received a minor injury to his leg, after falling down during the protest.
The BJP has been disrupting the proceedings of the assembly over the REET issue ever since the budget session began on Wednesday last week. However, the Congress government in the state led by chief minister Ashok Gehlot has maintained that the issue is being probed by a Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police.
Targetting the Congress government, Poonia said that there has been a big scam in the REET case.
“The BJP forced the government both inside and outside the assembly and they (government) cancelled REET level-II exam, this in itself is proof that there was huge rigging in the examination. Injustice has happened with the youth and we will continue to fight for their justified demands,” Poonia said.
“Till now, the government of Rajasthan was saved by Corona but now no power in the world will be able to save them. In 2023, their departure is certain, and if there is an absolute inquiry into the REET case, the government would go soon,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“Till now, the government of Rajasthan was saved by Corona but now no power in the world will be able to save them. In 2023, their departure is certain, and if there is an absolute inquiry into the REET case, the government would go soon,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Leader of opposition, Gulab Chand Kataria said the government is failing to respond to basic questions related to paper leaks. “The papers across the state were kept in police security and under camera surveillance but why the same wasn’t done in Jaipur…why the papers were kept at Shiksha Sankool?” he asked.
He also questioned how both the keys of the strong room at Shiksha Sankool were with a private person. “The four private people appointed to coordinate in Jaipur were from Rajiv Gandhi Study Circle, which has a minister and chief minister as its office bearers. It’s CBI which can expose the scam as SOG cannot probe such big leaders. Besides, this scam involves big coaching centres, who work as a gang,” he said.
BJP national general secretary and state in-charge Arun Singh said, “We need to wake up this government in deep slumber. No state has witnessed such a big scam that happened in this government led by Ashok Gehlot. This is not a case of paper leak but theft.”
He said the question paper was auctioned for a huge sum between ₹500-1,000 crore. The people sitting in government are involved and they need to be sent to jail, he said, adding that the youth have been cheated by this government be it paper leak or failing to provide unemployment allowance. “The law-and-order situation is deteriorating in the state, especially against women and Dalit,” he said.