'Paper leak mafia running in Punjab under Kejriwal, CM Mann': BJP alleges PCS Mains irregularities, demands CBI probe

BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Thursday (November 5) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in Punjab of protecting alleged irregularities of a selection racket and paper leak in the recently declared Punjab Civil Services (PCS) Mains examination results. In response to the paper leak, he demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation.

During a press conference, Bhandari claimed the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) had not announced the results for more than two years. He noted that the examination was last held in 2020, alleging that soon after the results announcement on Wednesday night, allegations of irregularities, fraud and corruption surfaced.

"The Punjab PCS Mains examination was last held in 2020, and the Punjab Public Service Commission had not declared its results for more than two years. It has now come to light that candidates whose roll numbers were not even registered to appear for the examination have been selected. The Punjab PCS Mains results were declared last night. Soon after the results were announced, allegations of irregularities, fraud and corruption came to light," Bhandari said.

Pradeep Bhandari demands CBI probe

Bhandari noted that the issue raises concerns about the future of Punjab and its youth, accusing the state government of supporting and protecting a paper leak mafia. He went on to say that today’s issue is about Punjab’s future and its young people. He alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party, which he linked to corruption and drug trafficking, is now running a paper-leak racket in the state on the orders of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, and that the Kejriwal-Mann government is backing, enabling and shielding this paper-leak network.

He later called for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the PCS Mains examination results. "We demand that the large-scale irregularities in the Punjab PCS Mains examination results, where candidates who had not even enrolled for the examination were selected, and 25 per cent of the selected candidates came from a single centre located in an Aam Aadmi Party MLA's constituency, should be investigated by the CBI," he said.