Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has questioned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state over the recurring incidents of paper leaks and its failure to curb them.
In a statement, Warring cited the latest examination for the recruitment of Pharmacy Officers conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), where cheating was allegedly carried out using technology.
He also referred to earlier paper leaks and irregularities in other examinations, including the Punjab School Education Board’s (PSEB) Class 12 English paper leak, irregularities in the Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET), and allegations surrounding the Punjab Group-B recruitment examination.
The PCC president said the Punjab government needs to take responsibility for the paper leaks and punish those responsible. “When the AAP can demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who, of course, must resign, why can’t it apply the same yardstick in Punjab as well?” he asked. He remarked that by shielding the guilty in Punjab, the AAP had only exposed its double standards.
Giving details of the PSEB Class 12 English examination held in February 2023, he said the PSEB cancelled the examination on the very day it was scheduled after reports emerged that the question paper had been leaked.
Similarly, he said that in March 2023, candidates appearing for the Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET) discovered answer keys printed on certain question paper booklets.
He said no concrete action had been taken in either of the two cases so far.
The PCC president also referred to the Group-B recruitment examination controversy that surfaced in December last year, when allegations of question paper tampering and other irregularities emerged in the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB) Group-B recruitment examination.
Warring asked the government what action it had taken against the culprits and whether it had fixed responsibility at the highest level. “Practice what you are preaching,” he told the AAP, referring to the party’s demand for Pradhan’s resignation. “Pradhan must resign, and the AAP must also fix responsibility in Punjab,” he remarked.