Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday claimed a "Maha Vyapam scam" in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat wherein question papers of the state government recruitment examinations have been leaked over years.
He promised a law against the paper leak with a provision of 10-year jail if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is voted to power in the Assembly elections, due later this year.
Reaching out to youngsters in the poll-bound state, Kejriwal said the AAP will bring a law providing 80% reservation to local people in the private sector if elected and reiterated the promise to create 15 lakh jobs under the new government.
"Did anybody go to jail for leaking papers? They will now go to jail (when AAP forms a government). Madhya Pradesh had the 'Vyapam scam. In Gujarat, a 'Maha Vyapam scam' is going on," Kejriwal alleged while addressing a town hall meeting of youth at Bhavnagar on the second day of his two-day visit to Gujarat.
The Vyapam scam was an entrance examination, admission and recruitment scam unearthed in Madhya Pradesh, also ruled by the BJP, in 2013. The scam is called "Vyapam" which is the Hindi acronym of the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board.
"They made the CBI conduct raids on Manish Sisodia (Delhi Deputy CM) based on a false case even when he did nothing wrong, but no CBI raid was conducted against those involved in leaking the (government exam) papers (in Gujarat). Why? Because people behind the paper leak are their own," the AAP national convener asked.
Sisodia, who is under the CBI scanner in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy, was also present at the event.
The Vyapam scam allegedly involved candidates and job aspirants, government officials, and some politicians wherein imposters wrote answer papers. The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation following a Supreme Court order in 2015.
Kejriwal listed several cases of the paper leak that were reported in Gujarat since 2015 and asked whether the BJP government felt ashamed. "They can't conduct exams, how will they run the government?" he asked.
The AAP leader promised stringent action against perpetrators if voted to power. "If the AAP forms a government in Gujarat, it will come out with a law against the paper leak with a provision of 10 years jail. We will also reopen the paper leak cases after 2015. The inquiry will be conducted and all found guilty will be sent to jail. Beware of leaking the paper after December (elections)," he said.
Kejriwal claimed a minister in Gujarat had said that the preference in government jobs will be given to those from the ruling party."Do government jobs belong to your father? Government jobs do not belong to any party but Gujarat's youths. We will conduct recruitment transparently and change the process," he said.
Kejriwal reiterated AAP's promise to create 15 lakh jobs and employment for every youth in Gujarat in the next five years.He said that AAP has prepared a recruitment calendar wherein posts of Talathi, teachers, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors will be filled within the first year of the AAP forming the government.
Kejriwal said he knew how to create jobs as his government in Delhi provided jobs to 12 lakh youths through various means. "Our intention is clean. I guarantee to offer jobs to all the youth in Gujarat," he said.
Without taking names, Kejriwal claimed a leader from a party wanted to have his photo published in the New York Times, which had published a photograph of Sisodia, and offered money but the newspaper turned it down saying it is not like their media and cannot be sold.
"They believe everything can be sold in the world. Not everything is sold, several things are run on honesty. Sisodia worked very hard to improve the quality of government schools in Delhi, something no education minister in independent India did," he said.
Kejriwal reiterated AAP's guarantees to youths regarding the assured employment and unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month. He also promised 15 lakh government jobs.He said if AAP forms a government in Gujarat, it will create a "waiting list" for a year on merit. Also, bus fares for those travelling to the exam centre will be waived.
"We will begin the recruitment process from the very first year of coming to power. Vacancies in the government will be filled from higher posts to lower posts. We will also bring a law for 80% reservation to locals in private jobs (in Gujarat)," he said and appealed to youths to support AAP on social media.
The AAP leader demanded Bharat Ratna for Maharaja Krishna Kumarsinhji, the last ruler of the Gohil dynasty that ruled the erstwhile Bhavnagar state. "Kumarsinhji was a proud patriot who handed over the reins of the Bhavnagar to the Indian union soon after Independence which became the first state to join the Indian union," he said.
Sisodia said the Centre took action (CBI raid) against him as it was rattled by the growing enthusiasm of youths in Gujarat. "Your anger which you will vent through votes, your josh prompted the government at Centre tighten the noose around me. But I am here to tell you that do not worry about my neck, it's the neck of honesty. It's not going to be trapped by the CBI. You keep up the josh, that's your responsibility (sic)," he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
