BJP accuses AAP of protecting 'paper leak mafia' over Punjab PCS Mains results

New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab over alleged irregularities in the Punjab PCS Mains examination results, accusing it of favouring candidates and protecting a "paper leak mafia".

Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that candidates who were not even enrolled for the examination and did not have roll numbers had been selected.

He also questioned how 24.2 per cent of the selected candidates came from a single examination centre, while the selection rate from a nearby centre was around 2 per cent.


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"How could nearly 25 per cent of the candidates be selected from a single centre? This seems highly impossible, conceptually and logically," Bhandari said, alleging possible involvement of AAP leaders in the matter.

He also alleged that the prescribed norm of calling three candidates for an interview against every vacancy was not followed in the selection process.

"There is a norm that candidates appearing for the examination are called for interviews in a ratio of three candidates for every vacancy. This procedure was not followed this time," he said.

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Bhandari said the examination was last conducted in 2020, and questioned why the results were not declared for more than two years.

Pointing out that all examination centres were located in Patiala district, the BJP leader alleged that the centre from which the highest number of candidates were selected fell within the constituencies of an AAP MLA, an AAP MP and a Congress MP.

"Is there any collusion between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party?""he asked.

The BJP spokesperson questioned whether Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann misused their influence to favour candidates linked to AAP leaders.

"Was there a money racket involved?" he asked, alleging that candidates without roll numbers could have been enrolled and selected against the payment of a cut or a commission.

The allegations raised by the students over the results warranted answers from the Punjab government, he said.