After Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as education minister, paper leaks are back in focus, this time in Punjab. The opposition parties in Punjab are targeting the AAP-led government and alleging “many paper leaks” in the state. However, chief minister Bhagwant Mann has denied all such claims, asserting there has not been a single case of paper leak in any competitive exam.
Event Context
The fresh controversy comes in the backdrop of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, that came after over a month of a big student protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Heaping praise on Pradhan’s decision to step down and take accountability, the BJP is now questioning the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal over their failure for a 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, further adding: “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 also referred to Punjab’s education minister Harjot Singh Bains as “shameless”.
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 Assembly elections in Punjab.
“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 news agency ANI.
The BJP is not alone in calling for this resignation. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has also made the demand alleging six paper leaks, including the Punjab Teacher Eligibility Test, Class 12 English exam, and pharmacy officer test.
Team Analysis
The 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 vowed to continue the fight against exam irregularities in Punjab.
Amid allegations of multiple paper leaks in Punjab, CM Bhagwant Mann squarely denied such claims, saying not one paper leak of a competitive exam has taken place during the past four-and-a-half years of the AAP rule in the state.
Addressing an event to honour 882 students of government schools who passed the NEET-UG re-exam recently, Mann did confirm reports of cheating from two places, but said that all accused were put behind bars.
“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 news agency ANI.
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According to him, 21 arrests have taken place in the cheating case so far.
Mann was reportedly referring to an inter-state cheating racket operating during the recently held pharmacy officer examination.
Despite calls for accountability and action over the alleged paper leaks in Punjab, the AAP continues to laud Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. While Bhagwant Mann said that gen-Z has made a “stubborn government” bow, 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,” Bhagwant Mann said on Sunday. He also said that it is a matter of pride that Aryan Gupta, NEET-UG re-exam topper this year, is a student from Punjab’s Ludhiana.
Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation came weeks after the May 3 NEET-UG exam was cancelled and a re-exam was ordered over a paper leak. Union minister Pralhad Joshi has been given additional charge of the education department.
