NEW DELHI: BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Thursday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of protecting an alleged paper leak and selection racket, raising questions over the recently declared Punjab Civil Services (PCS) Mains examination results and demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
Addressing a press conference, Bhandari said the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) had not declared the results for more than two years, with the examination last held in 2020.
He alleged that soon after the results were announced on Wednesday night, allegations of irregularities, fraud and corruption emerged.
“The Punjab PCS Mains examination was last held in 2020, and the Punjab Public Service Commission had not declared its results for more than two years. It has now come to light that candidates whose roll numbers were not even registered to appear for the examination have been selected. The Punjab PCS Mains results were declared last night. Soon after the results were announced, allegations of irregularities, fraud and corruption came to light,” Bhandari said.
Bhandari said the issue concerned the future of Punjab and its youth, alleging that the state government was supporting and protecting a paper leak mafia.
“The issue we are here to raise today concerns the future of Punjab and its youth. The Aam Aadmi Party, which is corrupt and associated with the drug trade, is now running a paper leak mafia in Punjab under the instructions of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann. A paper leak mafia is operating in Punjab, and the government led by Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann is supporting, promoting and protecting it,” Bhandari said.
Bhandari demanded a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the PCS Mains examination results.
“Our demand is that the large-scale irregularities in the Punjab PCS Mains examination results, where candidates who had not even enrolled for the examination were selected and 25 per cent of the selected candidates came from a single centre located in an Aam Aadmi Party MLA’s constituency, should be investigated by the CBI,” he said.
He questioned the interview shortlisting process, claiming that the commission did not follow the standard.
“Not only were candidates whose roll numbers were not registered selected, and not only did 25 per cent of the selections come from a single centre, but the standard procedure of calling three times the number of candidates who appeared for the examination for interviews was also not followed this time,” he said.
Bhandari outlined five reasons for alleging fraud in the recruitment process.
“First, candidates whose roll numbers were not registered for the examination have been selected. Second, 24–25 per cent of the selected candidates came from a single examination centre. Third, the standard procedure of calling three times the number of candidates for interviews was not followed,” he said.
“Fourth, this examination centre falls within the constituency of an Aam Aadmi Party MLA. Fifth, the results were not declared for more than two years, and the last examination was held in 2020,” Bhandari added
