Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said that not a single examination paper had been leaked in the state in the last four-and-a-half years and claimed that his government had provided nearly 69,000 government jobs purely on the basis of merit.
Speaking to the media during his visit to Parliament, where he met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and other MPs, Mann accused the BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal of making false allegations to damage the reputation of Punjab and its youth.
The Chief Minister said political differences were part of democracy but should not turn into personal conflicts. “The beauty of democracy is that people should continue to meet and interact with one another. Differences in ideology are natural in politics, but they should never become differences of heart,” he said.
Mann cites pharmacy exam incident, says cheating attempt was stopped
Addressing allegations related to recruitment examinations, Mann said his government had followed a policy of “no cash, no recommendation and no paper leaks” while providing jobs to Punjab’s youth.
He referred to the recent pharmacy examination incident, saying it was a case of attempted cheating and not a paper leak. According to Mann, authorities detected the issue shortly after the examination began, when a candidate allegedly used a Bluetooth-enabled pen to scan the question paper and receive answers through an earpiece.
{{/usCountry}}He referred to the recent pharmacy examination incident, saying it was a case of attempted cheating and not a paper leak. According to Mann, authorities detected the issue shortly after the examination began, when a candidate allegedly used a Bluetooth-enabled pen to scan the question paper and receive answers through an earpiece.
{{/usCountry}}Mann said Punjab Police acted immediately and arrested candidates along with people allegedly involved in the cheating network. He added that the examination was completed successfully after the attempt was stopped.
Responding to opposition demands for the resignation of the state Education Minister, Mann said the pharmacy examination was conducted under the Health Department and not the Education Department. He reiterated that the Health Minister had already clarified that there was no paper leak in the examination.
CM accuses opposition of targeting Punjab’s youth
Mann said his government had provided 68,855 government jobs without taking any money and claimed that recruitment processes in the state were now based only on merit.
Taking aim at the BJP, Congress and Akali Dal, the chief minister alleged that attempts were being made to portray Punjab’s youth negatively for political gains. He said political opponents should fight their battles with him rather than question the dedication and hard work of young people in the state.
Mann also criticised the Shiromani Akali Dal, saying the party had lost its political relevance in Punjab. He further questioned the BJP’s protests outside Parliament and said the party should first address issues related to demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.
The Chief Minister reiterated that his government’s focus remained on transparent recruitment and ensuring opportunities for young people based on merit.