Facing criticism over the Vyapam scam, the BJP on Saturday hit back at former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh alleging that 16 appointments were made in contravention of rules during his tenure.
Citing a High Court order, State BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chouhan said there is a possibility of the registration of an FIR against Singh in this regard. “Singh had appointed 16 people in various departments after throwing rules to the wind,” he alleged.
BJP also provided photocopies of 16 note sheets of appointments purportedly signed by Singh in his capacity as chief minister during 1993-2003.
While talking to media persons, Chouhan said, “The High Court bench comprising Chief Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice KK Trivedi had on August 6 annulled the appointment of one Arun Tiwari as an engineer in Water Resources Department made by the then Congress government headed by (Digvijay) Singh by relaxing rules. The above appointment was made by him (Singh) on September 27, 1997.”
He said the possibility of registering an FIR against Singh cannot be ruled out in the wake of the HC's order directing the state to initiate criminal proceedings against all irregular appointments by identifying them department- wise.
“The bench has directed that a first compliance report be filed within four months on the issue of alleged irregular appointments made by relaxing rules after identifying such recruitments department-wise. It also directed the chief secretary to cancel them (appointments),” he said.
Reacting to the HC's order dated August 6, Digvijay Singh had tweeted, “Shocked to hear the Honorable High Court MP order against me without giving me Notice or giving me opportunity to plead my case. Is this JusticeIJ”
In related tweets on the issue today, he said, “If it (any case) was not under rule, then it (rule) was relaxed by taking the order from the Cabinet. like Vyapam no forgery was done by looting the candidates.” In yet another tweet, he added, “During my chief ministership tenure all decisions were taken under the government rules.”