The heat of Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam has started reaching the doors of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the State Congress alleged Chouhan’s name in the scam. The Congress party also repeated its demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the scam.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesman KK Mishra while addressing media persons at the State Congress headquarters here on Saturday alleged that the Chief Minister’s relatives played a dubious role in the scam and the investigating agency is not taking proper action against the culprits.
Mishra questioned the action taken by the Special Task Force (STF) and accused the agency of adopting a lenient attitude and demanded that all the accused should be booked under stringent corruption charges.
Mishra also released some documents during the press conference alleging that BJP leader and Union Minister Uma Bharti also recommended some students’ name, but no action has been taken against her by the STF.
He said that the evidences surfaced before the STF during the investigations clearly shows involvement of Chief Minister’s family members besides the name of some very influential person named Soni. Identification of all these persons is necessary, he added.
Former minister laxmikant Sharma has been arrested in this case. The FIR names other BJP and RSS leaders as well as a few officials in the Chief Minister’s Office.
Mishra questioned that why Sharma’s arrest was delayed for 189 days by the STF despite having enough evidence against him. Is it an exercise to shield some very influential person, he added.
He asked that as to why former personal secretary of the Chief Minister Premprasad has not been arrested till now. Similarly name of then Transport Minister Jagdish Deora’s personal assistant Rajendra Raghuvanshi’s name came in Transport Inspectors exam, when STF interrogated him. Why Jan Abhiyan Parishad’s jailed member Ajay Mehta was not taken on remand by the STF, he added.
He said that different ways of action are adopted for the similar crime by the STF raising doubts over the impartial action. The STF is working in a ‘Pick and Choose’ way, he added.
Chouhan had a tough time last December when STF officials leaked his rival Uma Bharti’s name in the scam, before going on to give her a clean chit.
This gave rise to conspiracy theories. A fuming Bharti, then an MlA from Uttar Pradesh, called it a plot to damage her. Now, even laxmikant Sharma’s supporters have pointed an accusing finger at Chouhan, who was away in South Africa when the arrest was carried out.