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4 Rajasthan BJP MLAs suspended from assembly after ruckus over REET paper leak
The MLAs — Ramlal Sharma, Madan Dilawar, Avinash Gehlot and Chandrabhan Akya — were suspended from the assembly for the rest of the session
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Four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators were suspended from the Rajasthan assembly for the rest of the session on Thursday, on a day marked with frequent adjournments and ruckus in the House.
The MLAs -- Ramlal Sharma, Madan Dilawar, Avinash Gehlot and Chandrabhan Akya -- were suspended after a scuffle broke out between legislators of the ruling Congress and BJP over the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) paper leak case. The state government has cancelled the level-II exam of REET held in September last year. The BJP is demanding a CBI probe in the matter, which is being investigated by the special operations group of Rajasthan Police.
The issue dominated the assembly proceedings on Thursday and led to four adjournments throughout the day. House chairperson Rajendra Pareek issued the suspension orders for the 4 BJP MLAs.
The BJP is demanding a CBI inquiry into the paper leak case. Around 11 am on Thursday, the party’s MLAs entered the well of the House with placards to reiterate their demand.
During the debate on the motion of thanks on the governor’s speech, the BJP MLAs then moved towards CPI (M) MLA Balwan Poonia, who was speaking. This led to a confrontation between legislators from both parties.
The house was then adjourned -- for the fourth time in the day.
After the House reassembled, parliamentary affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal moved a proposal to suspend four MLAs, which was passed by the House. Condemning the conduct of opposition MLAs, Poonia said they disrupted Poonia when he was was speaking and also misbehaved and abused.
After the house passed the proposal by voice vote, Pareek suspended the four MLAs .
BJP MLAs sat on protest outside the House following the move. “The MLAs of the ruling party abused us in front of women MLAs. But instead of taking action, four of our MLAs are suspended. This is their frustration. They can’t handle rightful demands and slogans. We condemn their actions and are sitting on indefinite dharna inside the house,” said former minister Vasudev Devnani.
Condemning the behaviour of opposition BJP, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot asked the why the case of paper leak cases of other states like UP, Haryana were not given to CBI.
He said the BJP MLAs did not want to allow a discussion on issues of development issues.
“BJP leaders of the state are constantly creating ruckus at the behest of someone so that timely recruitments are not done and they can defame the government. In this way, instead of discussing the issues of development of the state, the opposition is doing the work of tarnishing the dignity of the house,” he tweeted.
The CM said BJP instigated youths and created an atmosphere due to which the REET Level-II exam was cancelled.
He also announced that the Non Secretariat Clerk exam proposed to be held on February 13 in Gujarat was postponed on Thursday. He said this exam has been postponed thrice in four years.
“I have said earlier also that organized gangs involved in paper leaks, making fake degrees etc in different states are causing problems in all examinations,” he said.
Gehlot said papers of the Police Constable exam in Haryana, SDO, RAEO and Nurse recruitment exam in Madhya Pradesh, Daroga recruitment in UP, UPPCL recruitment, UP lower subordinate exam, village development officer, UP PAT, UP TET exam, UGC NET 2021, NEET conducted by Central government, SSC-CGL recruitment, general duty recruitment in the Army, etc. were leaked and all the examinations had to be cancelled.
“The cases related to paper leak in these were probed state agencies. BJP should tell why the investigation of all these recruitments was not given to CBI?” he asked.
As soon as the proceedings of the House began at 11 am, BJP MLAs stormed to the well, raising slogans in support of their demand. Speaker CP Joshi asked them to return to their seats, while assuring that they will be given a chance to speak on the issue during zero hour, and the government will submit its reply.
Joshi said, “It is unfortunate…everyone has right to speak in democracy but the opposition can impose themselves on assembly proceedings. I strongly condemn this.”
He added that the House had been adjourned only on four occasions during question hour and said such a tradition should not be encouraged. “If it does, then parliamentary democracy will be in danger, and it will be the BJP’s responsibility. The BJP is not doing justice with the public and the children. The kind of work they are doing will bring injustice to the youth of Rajasthan. I urge and appeal all to follow the parliamentary system. I will allow speaking during zero hour and government will give its statement on REET,” he said.
Meanwhile replying to question related to number of cases of paper leak in last three years, Dhariwal said a total of eight cases had been registered in which 85 arrests are made.
Hitting at the opposition, he said, “A total of five exam papers leaked during their previous government, which included twice of REET exam – 2016 and 2018. But they didn’t give the probe to SOG, and today are demanding for CBI probe.”
During previous BJP government - In 2014, the exam paper of Rajasthan Administrative Services and Rajasthan Judicial Services were leaked; in 2013 lower divisional clerk ; and in 2018 of Jail guard –but none of the case was given to SOG.
Dhariwal said 10, 11, 12 and 18 people were arrested by the previous government in various paper leak cases respectively whereas in REET case, more than 38 people have been arrested by the government, so far. “As the investigation was not done in various paper leak cases by the previous government, the courage of the gang increased, but now a bill will be brought in this regard by the government, strict provisions have been made in the bill so that paper leak cases are stopped,” he said.
