On Day 1, BJP govt fumbles for answers on paper leaks

Jaipur: After health minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar informed the state Assembly on Tuesday that 33 cases of paper leaks had been registered in Rajasthan in the past 10 years, state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra pointed out that 20 of these paper leak cases happened under the BJP government during 2013–2018. “You yourself have admitted to the fact. Now it is clear that paper leaks in the previous BJP government were greater than those in the Congress government (2018–2023). You cannot run the show (over the paper leaks) anymore. Tell me, have papers not been leaked in Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, or in exams conducted by the Union government?” asked Dotasra.Khinvsar was responding to a question on the number of paper leaks and their legal status raised by RLP national president and Khinvsar MLA Hanuman Beniwal. Theminister informed that 615 people had been arrested in the paper leaks cases, a challan had been presented in 32 cases, and investigation was going on in one case.The minister informed that a special investigation team (SIT) had been formed to investigate the following cases: Rajasthan Police Constable Recruitment Examination 2021, CHO Recruitment Examination 2020, Senior Teacher Recruitment Examination 2022, Senior Teacher Recruitment Examination 2022, REET Recruitment Examination 2021, Junior Engineer (Degree) Recruitment Examination 2020, and High Court Clerk Recruitment Examination 2020.Beniwal in the Assembly questioned the state government’s move to form the SIT, reminding that the BJP had promised to hand over the cases to the CBI. “Cabinet ministers Kirori Lal Meena and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore raised the issue of the paper leaks in the Lok Sabha. The issue of the paper leaks did give an advantage to the BJP in the polls, but forming of an SIT makes it appear that both the BJP and the Congress are in nexus with the paper mafia,” said Beniwal.