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Punjab CM refutes allegations of paper leak under AAP government
Bhagwant Mann's remarks came after the BJP and other opposition parties accused the Punjab government of presiding over "many paper leaks"
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday rejected the opposition's allegations of multiple paper leaks in the state, asserting that not a single competitive examination paper has leaked during the AAP government's four-and-a-half-year tenure.
His remarks came after the BJP and other opposition parties accused the Punjab government of presiding over "many paper leaks" and demanded the resignation of education minister Harjot Singh Bains.
Calls for resignation grow louder
The controversy comes in the backdrop of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation following a month-long student protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Citing Pradhan's resignation as an example of accountability, the BJP questioned why the AAP leadership had not taken similar action in Punjab.
"Dharmendra Pradhan has already resigned. He demonstrated the highest standards of accountability and morality," BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said on Sunday. "Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal, who had said that if there was a paper leak at their end, they would resign, today 6 to 7 paper leaks have occurred in Punjab," he alleged.
He also referred to Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains as "shameless".
Bhagwant Mann refutes allegations
Responding to the allegations, Mann said there had not been a single paper leak in any competitive examination under the AAP government.
Addressing an event to honour 882 students of government schools who cleared the NEET-UG re-exam, Mann acknowledged that two cheating incidents had been detected but maintained that they did not involve question paper leaks. He said all those involved had been arrested.
"They were scanning the papers digitally with a Bluetooth pen and sending them out. They were getting the answers they wanted from outside. Ten minutes after the paper started, the students inside who were cheating were also caught and those who were getting the papers done from outside, who were charging ₹3-5 lakhs for a paper, they were also caught and put in jail," Mann said, as quoted by ANI.
According to him, 21 arrests have been made in the cheating case so far.
Mann was reportedly referring to an inter-state cheating racket operating during the recently held pharmacy officer examination.
Opposition demands action
Despite Mann's denial, opposition parties continued to press for action.
The call for Punjab's education minister's resignation was also made by Ravneet Singh Bittu, who recently resigned as Union minister from the NDA cabinet ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.
"They have leaked and sold papers. Even sanitation workers, who do some of the most essential work, have not been made permanent or given proper employment... The Punjab Education Minister should resign....," Bittu was quoted as saying by ANI.
The BJP is not alone in making the demand. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has also alleged six paper leaks, including the Punjab Teacher Eligibility Test, Class 12 English examination and the pharmacy officer test.
Similar demands have also been made by Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Delhi Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, among others.
The Congress has also said it will continue raising the issue of alleged exam irregularities in Punjab.
AAP hails Pradhan's resignation
Even as it rejected the allegations in Punjab, the AAP continued to welcome Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Bhagwant Mann said Gen-Z had made a "stubborn government" bow, while AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal called it a "big win for democracy".
"Gen-Z possesses sharp insights and energy, and we only need to ensure this potential is channelled constructively," Mann said. He also said it was a matter of pride that Aryan Gupta, the NEET-UG re-exam topper this year, is from Ludhiana in Punjab.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned weeks after the May 3 NEET-UG examination was cancelled and a re-exam ordered following a paper leak. Union minister Pralhad Joshi has been given additional charge of the education ministry.
