Cong alleges involvement of senior BJP in Assam police recruitment exam paper leak

(Eds: Adds fresh inputs))
    Guwahati, Sep 24 (PTI) The opposition Congress on
Thursday alleged that a senior BJP leader was involved in the
Assam Police recruitment paper leak scam and claimed that it
proved that RSS was behind it.
    The RSS, it claimed, is planning to put its cadres in
the police force.
The opposition party demanded a probe by a sitting
High Court judge into the case, while the All Assam Students'
Union (AASU) staged protests and burnt effigies of Assam Chief
Minister Sarbananda Sonowal across the state.
    Addressing a press conference here, Assam PCC
president Ripun Bora said "It was the RSS planning to put its
cadres in the police force. That is why BJP leaders were
involved in the process."
    BJP Kisan Morcha National Executive Member Diban Deka,
whose name has cropped up in connection with the scam, on
Thursday said he was involved with the examination process and
has now left Assam as he might be "killed anytime" as "many
big and corrupt officials" of Assam Police are involved in the
nexus.
    "Assam Police comes under the CM himself. How can a
police department probe be held impartially against the police
itself? This is nothing but a drama. We demand an impartial
probe by a sitting high court judge," said Bora, a Rajya Sabha
MP.
AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam too slammed the BJP-led
government in the state at a press conference here and
demanded a speedy probe into the scandal.
The Assam BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass told
reporters that if any member of the party is found to be
involved, then "he should be arrested and punished first
before anyone else".
On September 20, the question paper of the written
examination for 597 posts of unarmed sub-inspectors in Assam
Police was leaked and the authorities cancelled the test
minutes after it had commenced across the state.
Around 66,000 candidates had appeared for the written
tests across 154 centres in all the districts.
    On September 12, the State Level Police Recruitment
Board (SLPRB) Chairman Pradeep Kumar had issued a notice
cautioning candidates for the examination against touts after
an audio clip went viral that promised a job for the
police sub-inspector's post against payment of Rs 4 lakh in
cash.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed
Kumar to conduct the examination again within a month and
asked the director general of police to identify the nexus
which had conspired to spoil the recruitment process.
    He said the culprits in the scam should be awarded
strict punishment as soon as possible.
    Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly
Debabrata Saikia dashed off a letter to Kerala Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan urging him to seek an explanation from
state-owned Keltron as it was entrusted the responsibility of
conducting the Assam Police recruitment test.
    "I regret to draw your attention to the fact that the
Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) has
become embroiled in a question paper-leak scandal pertaining
to a written test for 597 vacant posts of Sub-Inspectors of
Police under the Government of Assam," Saikia said in the
letter.
    The question paper got leaked on social media a day
prior to the scheduled examination on September 20 and, as a
result, the fate of around 66,000 applicants has become
shrouded in uncertainty.
    According to preliminary reports, he said, the
incident happened because Keltron blindly awarded sub-
contracts to two local firms with dubious bona fides at the
behest of BJP leaders of Assam.
    "While the first firm has already been involved in at
least two question paper-leak scandals involving other
departments of the Government of Assam in recent times, the
other firm is reported to be operating as a call centre and
has no experience of conducting an important examination of
this sort," the letter read.
    It is evident that Keltron awarded the sub-contracts
with the intention of earning easy profits without considering
the consequences, the Congress leader claimed.
    Saikia requested the Kerala chief minister "to call
for an explanation from the authorities of Keltron regarding
the scam. PTI TR ESB
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)