BJP MP Raghav Chadha on Friday targeted the Congress during a Rajya Sabha debate on examination paper leaks, invoking a 2016 incident in Karnataka to question the party’s record on accountability.
Event Context
Speaking in the Upper House, Chadha referred to the alleged leak of the Class 12 Pre-University Chemistry examination paper during the Congress government’s tenure in Karnataka. He claimed the controversy did not end with a single cancelled examination, alleging that the re-examination paper was also leaked, forcing authorities to cancel the test twice.
Chadha further added, “The most shocking and sad thing is that in 2016, when Congress was in power in Karnataka, the 12th paper of Pre-University College was leaked. It wasn’t a classroom paper. It was a state board exam.”
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Chadha said students came to know about the leak only after returning home from the examination, following which the paper was cancelled. He said a fresh examination was conducted 20 days later, but that paper was also leaked.
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Summing up the incident, Chadha took a dig at the Congress with the line, “Leak double, trauma triple.”
Player Focus
During his speech, Chadha said the state CID arrested three people in connection with the case, including the personal assistant of Karnataka’s then Medical Education Minister, Dr Sharan Patil.
He alleged that the minister’s PA was involved in leaking the examination paper for ₹10 lakh.
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Chadha further said that demands were made at the time for the minister to resign, but he refused.
Quoting the minister’s response, Chadha said, “He said, there is no question of resigning. If something goes wrong, it’s my PA’s personal matter. It’s his personal life. It’s the office government’s, designation government’s, access government’s, but arrest is a matter of personal life.”
