The back-to-back exam paper leak cases seem to have become a pain in the neck for the Congress government in Rajasthan as its own ministers have now questioned the inability of the government to hold the exams successfully.

Recently, Rajasthan minister Rajendra Singh Gudha exposed his own government in connection with the frequent cases of exam paper leak in the state and said the government is protecting the ‘paper mafia’.

The teachers exam of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission were cancelled on December 24 after the question paper was allegedly leaked just hours before the exam.

Gudha accepted the fact that it was the government’s incapacity to conduct the competitive exams. He said, “The paper leak scandal is a failure of the government and it’s the responsibility of the government to hold free and fair examinations.”

“It is our failure that we are not able to conduct fair exams. Papers are getting out and we are unable to take action. There is despair among the candidates appearing in the competitive examinations,” he said.

Congress MLA Girraj Singh Malinga also raised questions in the paper leak case in the senior teachers recruitment exam. Malinga advised the government to take strict action against the paper leak gang and use bulldozers on their houses on the lines of Uttar Pradesh.

Malinga, talking to the media, said what is the problem in running bulldozers, Yogi is the UP Chief Minister and we also have a Chief Minister, and concrete action should be taken here too so that these leaks stop. When bulldozers can go to the houses of ‘paper leakers’ in UP, then what is the problem here, he asked.

Malinga said “It is absolutely true that the papers have been leaked. The government should take concrete steps regarding this so that injustice is not done to a poor man. Action should be taken against whoever is involved in the paper leak.”

Speaking on the issue, Rajya Sabha MP Kirorilal Meena said “If the CBI investigates the papers that have been leaked so far in Rajasthan, many Congress leaders and ministers will be in jail like Partha Chatterjee in Bengal.”

“10 out of 16 papers have been cancelled. By the way, 16 out of 16 papers have been leaked. REET was a big paper which was leaked. There were protests and demonstrations too. The government hastily sacked RBSE president DP Jarauli. After sacking, SOG did not question him till date and has given them a clean chit. He had given this statement that politicians have a hand in this. I had said earlier also that 5 MLAs and 3 ministers are involved through the Rajiv Gandhi Study Circle. There was no CBI inquiry into this paper leak. Had the CBI investigated, the leaders would have been in jail here as the central agency caught Partha Chatterjee and others in Bengal.”

Bharatiya Janata Party state president Satish Poonia also said that they will order an inquiry when they come to power. “This is a sin as youths are deprived of jobs despite working hard.”

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra also expressed deep concern to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over the news published in various newspapers regarding paper leaks. He said that selection of personnel for public service in a transparent manner is the constitutional and moral responsibility of the state government. He emphasized on strict compliance with an appropriate action plan in this regard at the state government level immediately.

Mishra said that paper leaks in competitive exams is a hoax on lakhs of unemployed youth preparing for the exams. The future of lakhs of candidates is linked to this. He expressed the need to take strict action against the officials of coaching institutes, organized gangs involved in paper leaks.

Mishra has also written separate letters to Gehlot for taking quick cognisance of the paper leak case.

Terming the senior teachers exam paper leak case as unfortunate, Gehlot said, “We will make more stringent laws to prevent such incidents and will also make provision for confiscation of property if needed.”