New Delhi: With the Assembly election in Assam scheduled early next year, the opposition Congress in the state is geared up to attack the ruling party over the sub-inspector recruitment scam that pushed the ruling BJP government to corner.
BJP leaders, on the other hand, are confident that the way the state government is handling the case, “it would definitely increase peoples’ confidence in the party.”
More than 25 people including a former DIG of Assam police PK Dutta and a BJP leader Diben Deka were arrested by the law enforcing agency after the scam came to light following leakage of the question papers for the sub-inspector recruitment examination, held on September 20.
The examination took place to fill up 597 vacancies in Assam Police for the post of sub-inspector. As many as 66,000 candidates had appeared for the examination.
“When a former DIG level police officer was involved, there is every possibility that several incumbent officers may also get involved,” said Congress MP Abdul Khaleque.
The incident also has also exposed the involvement of BJP leaders in scams. Referring to the arrest of BJP leader Deben Deka, Khaleque said that Deka was actively involved with BJP. “This scam has unearthed that BJP has been trying to recruit RSS minded people in the police force. We demand a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge to unearth the truth,” said Khaleque.
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Khaleque also raised doubt over the investigation initiated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). “He (Chief Minister) himself is the Home Minister. If the crime branch gets involved, what will happen! So, we want a judicial inquiry. We demand that taking moral responsibility, the Chief Minister should also resign from his position,” said Khaleque.
When asked about the involvement of Congress leaders in the scam, Khaleque admitted that grass root level Congress members might be involved. “Several Congress leaders who joined BJP might also get involved with the scam. Or even Congress leaders who get the support of BJP might be involved,” said Khaleque.
Assam Police on Sunday arrested a Congress leader Atab Ali in connection with the scam.
Khaleque said that several Congress leaders have already joined BJP and some of them have been given ministry as well.
“Two ministers in the Assam government have gone from Congress, they might also get involved,” said Khaleque.
The MP said that Congress will take the matter to the people. “Earlier, there was a scam in Assam irrigation department where a secretary-level officer was arrested. We demanded the resignation of the Irrigation Minister, but the state government did nothing…the government acts when names of big people appear in any scam by arresting lower-level people,” said Khaleque.
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Rejecting Khaleque’s claim, the BJP on the other hand said that the state government has adopted a zero-tolerance attitude against all kinds of scams and corruption.
“Making accusations is the stand of Congress. The 15 years of Congress rule have witnessed several scams in the state including massive Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) scam which was unearthed during the current BJP regime. Our stand is zero tolerance against corruption,” said Rajdeep Roy, BJP MP from Assam.
“Yes, we are shocked by this sub-inspector recruitment scam because the future of several youths is at stake. However, the way we brought transparency in APSC, we will do the same in other cases too. Our government is arresting all the accused involved in the scam,” said Roy.
He said that Congress was involved in many scams and “if they come to power again, they will get involved in scams.”
Roy, who represents Assam’s Silchar Lok Sabha constituency refuted the Congress claim that Diben Deka was an active party leader. “He was not a BJP leader, though he was associated with the party. He was suspended from the party. The DIG was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border. There will be all kinds of legal action against all accused,” said Roy.
He expressed confidence that the strong action taken by the BJP government in Assam will help the party in the next year’s Assembly election.
“BJP has good prospects and I believe people will take it positively. There will be an increase of support base for BJP. We have already ordered an inquiry and whoever is found guilty will be punished,” said Roy.
Several organizations in Assam have come to the street following the unearthing of the scam. Assam’s prominent peasants’ organization Krishak Mukti Sangram Sammittee (KMSS) has demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
The KMSS claimed that the CID investigation ordered by the Assam government is going very slow and the case should be handed over to the CBI.
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