MP: Vyapam whistleblower to start new party

A government doctor, who emerged as a key whistleblower in Madhya Pradesh’s Vyapam test-rigging scam, announced on Sunday that he will float a political party and contest the 2018 elections in the state.

Updated on: Mar 21, 2016, 15:07:12 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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A government doctor, who emerged as a key whistleblower in Madhya Pradesh’s Vyapam test-rigging scam, announced on Sunday that he will float a political party and contest the 2018 elections in the state.

Dr Anand Rai, who quit BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh’s health department this month, told Hindustan Times in an interview that his party will aim to weed out corruption from the state as well as fight for farmers and Dalits.

The 39-year -old ophthalmologist approached the courts three years ago over the scandal that saw multiple rackets help candidates rig examinations for money by employing imposters to write test papers, manipulating seating arrangements and supplying forged answer sheets.

Rai, who came into the spotlight in 2010 for exposing unethical drug trials at medical colleges and hospitals in the state, said he has been fighting corruption since his student days.

“For exposing various irregularities and scams in the government, I was harassed continuously. So, I decided it was time to jump into the political ring and start cleaning the system from within,” he said. “Many activists and two to three young IAS officers will also join my party.”

The former RSS worker maintained he is close to both the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, but did not say anything on pre-poll alliances.

Rai tweeted on Sunday, “If #VyapamScam accused &out on bail ex-minister Laxmikant Sharma rejoins BJP, I will contest against him in 2018 assembly elections.”

The CBI took over the Vyapam investigation in July 2015 after more than 40 accused, beneficiaries, whistle-blowers and witnesses died mysteriously, with many accusing there was a systematic attempt to scuttle the inquiry that has singed top bureaucrats and politicians.

“Both of us (Sharma and he) come from an RSS background. If he rejoins BJP or contests elections again, I will contest against him,” Rai said. “I want to see who the RSS supports: Me, who fought corruption, or Laxmikant, who is accused of corruption.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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