Disappointment was writ large on the faces of nearly 9.5 lakh students as Gujarat government cancelled the junior clerk examination for panchayats following an alleged question paper leak which also led to protests at several places in the state. This is the third time that this paper has been leaked and it is 20th paper leak reported in the state in the last couple of years.
The students, majority of them had reached the exam centres from far flung places, were informed about the cancellation just hours before the scheduled time of examination at 11 am on Sunday. New dates will be announced soon. As many as 2,995 exam centres had been set up for the examination.
Even as the opposition lambasted the Bhupendra Patel-led BJP government for yet another paper leak, the Gujarat ATS arrested 15 persons from Vadodara on Saturday night in connection with the incident.
SP, Gujarat ATS, Sunil Joshi told reporters that these people work in different states and were arrested based on human intelligence.
A string of paper leaks was one of the key issues, especially raised by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party in the December 2022 assembly elections. The AAP won 5 out of the 182 seats but managed to get the label of national party following its performance in Gujarat.
Kejriwal was quick to take to social media and question as to why the future of the youth is ruined.
As many as 1,181 posts were to be filled through this examination.
While Gujarat Congress working president Jignesh Mevani has sought formation of an SIT comprising of “non-corrupt” police officers, opposition leader in the state assembly Amit Chavda sought a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for “playing with the future of the youth”.
Chavda said that the Congress tried to oust the BJP government but the youth were misled by the promises by the latter.
Mevani and AAP Gujarat unit president Isudan Ghadvi said that the incident reflects the arrogance of the BJP after they got 156 seats.
Breaking all records, the party had won 156 in the last assembly elections.
Education minister Kuber Dindor, who hails from Santrampur – a tribal area, claimed that the state government will go to the root of the problem. He claimed that none of those involved will be spared and that the action taken by the government will set an example.
The state government has decided refund the transport cost borne by the students.
