Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the BJP first "stole" an elected government in Madhya Pradesh and is now indulging in "theft" of employment opportunities and the rights of students in the state.
Protests were staged by youngsters in several parts of the poll-bound state, including in Bhopal and Indore, during the day against alleged irregularities in an exam for recruitment of patwaris (revenue department official) conducted on April 26 by the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (MPSEB). Results were declared in May and June.
Sharing a video of the protests on Twitter, Gandhi said, "In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has only indulged in theft from the youth. Patwari exam scam, Vyapam scam 2.0 are playing with the future of lakhs of youth of the state."
"Earlier, the BJP stole the elected government of the people, now it is stealing the rights from students and employment from the youth," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Protests calling for the scrapping of the exam and a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into alleged irregularities were held in front of the Bhopal office of the MPESB, formerly known as the Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal or Vyapam, and at the Indore collectorate.
"Scams have taken place one after the other during the BJP rule in Madhya Pradesh and are still taking place. Patwari exam scam is the latest case. Will the prime minister, who lectures on corruption in every meeting, get an inquiry conducted into this scam playing with the future of the youth?" Congress general secretary in-charged communications Jairam Ramesh.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of shying away from ordering a probe into the recruitment exam.
In a tweet in Hindi, she said, "Once again there are reports of a scam in recruitment under the rule of BJP government of Madhya Pradesh. It is news of bidding in lakhs for getting (government) jobs. Why is the government shying away from ordering a probe into it?".
"There are reports of jobs for posts being bid for lakhs of rupees and why is the government shying away from conducting an inquiry? Why only the names of BJP leaders keep cropping up for their alleged involvement in recruitment scams? There are only scams in recruitment for jobs. Why is the BJP government putting the future of lakhs of youth in darkness," Priyanka Gandhi asked.
National Educated Youth Union's national core committee member Radhe Jat told PTI that a special investigation team of the CBI must probe the exam "scam" as people across the state are angry.
After a leading Hindi newspaper carried a report on the exam two days ago, the Congress latched onto the issue and called it another "Vyapam scam", a reference to the admission and recruitment racket that rocked the state a decade ago and made national headlines.
According to the report, seven out of 10 selected candidates had appeared at the same examination centre, which it claimed was located in a college run by a BJP legislator.
Senior Congress leader Arun Yadav had on Wednesday called it another "Vyapam scam" and alleged only BJP-backed candidates were selected. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, also the spokesperson for the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, had denied the allegation.
Yadav had claimed eight of the 10 candidates who were selected were from Gwalior-Chambal division, including seven from just one centre at a college owned by a BJP MLA.
The issue has come to the fore ahead of the assembly elections in the state, scheduled in January next year.
