Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Thursday, July 23, said he was prepared to resign if doing so would help improve the state’s education and examination system, rejecting Opposition allegations that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had failed to ensure transparency after reports of malpractice in a pharmacy recruitment examination.
His remarks came after the the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) demanded accountability from the Bhagwant Mann-led government over alleged cheating in the examination and recent incidents involving police action against protesting employees.
Responding to the criticism, Bains asserted that the alleged irregularities had not been uncovered by the Opposition, but by the government itself. He said the administration had acted immediately after detecting the violations and initiated action against those involved instead of attempting to suppress the matter.
“The irregularities in the pharmacy examination were identified by our own government and administration. We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, paper leaks and cheating. If my resignation can contribute to making Punjab’s education and examination system stronger, I am ready to step down today itself,” Bains said.
The minister also dismissed the political attacks over the issue, saying public office was never his personal priority. He remarked that he had entered politics independently in 2011 and was prepared to face political challenges on his own if required.
The controversy relates to a pharmacy recruitment examination conducted for appointments in Punjab’s Health Department. The examination was organised by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, while the Health and Medical Education portfolios are held by Cabinet Minister Dr Balbir Singh. Even so, Bains chose to publicly offer his resignation, saying he was willing to accept responsibility if it helped restore public confidence in the system.
The issue has intensified the ongoing confrontation between the ruling AAP government and the opposition, which has also criticised the state over police action against employees and workers holding demonstrations on various demands.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa alleged that repeated controversies surrounding recruitment examinations were undermining the future of young aspirants. He called upon Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the ministers concerned to accept moral responsibility and resign.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the government of failing to fulfil its promises of transparent recruitment and employment generation, alleging that candidates were losing faith in the fairness of the examination process while protesters demanding their rights were facing police action.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal questioned the government’s claims of good governance, alleging that the law-and-order situation had weakened and that peaceful demonstrators, including teachers and employees, were being dealt with through force rather than dialogue.
Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar demanded an independent probe into the alleged examination malpractice and sought accountability from those responsible, while Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon alleged that large-scale cheating had taken place and criticised the government’s handling of protests by employees and sanitation workers.
Defending the government’s record, Bains said the present administration had adopted a different approach from previous governments by exposing examination-related irregularities instead of concealing them. He maintained that every complaint was being thoroughly investigated and that strict action would continue against anyone found guilty of compromising the integrity of the recruitment process.