Continuing its attack on the BJP and RSS in the multi-crore Vyapam scam, the Congress on Wednesday alleged that leaders of both the outfits had shared the scam money. Congress released an IT report of 2013 to allege that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and RSS leader Suresh Soni benefited from the scam. Congress leaders also alleged that Pradhan got an air ticket from a Vyapam scam accused and demanded his resignation along with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The party has called for a State-wide bandh in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday seeking resignation of the Chief Minister. Demanding sacking of Pradhan for allegedly having received “payments” from the prime accused in the scam, the party insisted that a fair probe was not possible without removal of Chouhan and alleged that he had protected the guilty.
“Facts and documents in public domain now prove that Chouhan has misled on facts, protected the guilty, refused to take action against the accused and permitted Vyapam scam to happen year after year between 2009 to 2013 despite the lid having been blown in 2009 itself,” Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala alleged at Special AICC press conference.
Sharing a series of documents including information allegedly contained in a pen drive seized from prime accused Sudhir Sharma by the IT department, Surjewala alleged that besides Pradhan, the accused made payments to BJP Vice President and former President of the MP State unit of the party Prabhat Jha and his two sons besides RSS Joint General Secretary Suresh Soni and party’s Rajya Sabha MP Anil Dave.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is launching ‘Skill India’ but Madhya Pradesh witnessed ‘kill India’. Complicity of the entire BJP leadership with deep-rooted links to RSS in Vyapam scam is thus writ large. The only alternative is a Supreme Court monitored CBI investigation after removing Chouhan,” said Surjewala who has been unrelentingly taking on the ruling party on the scam.
The Congress leaders also read out from the replies given by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister from time to time on the Vyapam scam to allege that he was the “kingpin” of the scam and not the whistleblower as he claims.
During the Press briefing, the Congress leaders alleged that Chouhan has protected the officials guilty of the gigantic fraud and corruption in ‘Vyapam’. “In a reply in the Assembly, the CM has clearly stated that while 114 candidates were found fake in ‘Vyapam’, no administrative officer or employee is responsible for the fraud and corruption. Can any reasonable person believe that Vyapam fraud was happening on its own without complicity of any single employee or officer or protection of the political executiveIJ,” Surjewala asked.
Admittedly, 1,40,000 jobs were given through ‘Vyapam’ between 2008 and 2013, he said adding that Chouhan has himself admitted on the floor of Vidhan Sabha on in January 2014 that 1,000 appointments made through ‘Vyapam’ were fraudulentand the entire controversy puts a question about the future of 77 lakh students who appeared in the exams.
In late evening meeting on Tuesday, Congress top brass including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh chalked out the party’s strategy for Monsoon Session of Parliament. The party is also attempting to forge an Opposition unity on the floor of the House to corner the government on key issues including the Vyapam scam, lalit Modi controversy and the Socio Economic and Caste Census.
The Congress’ plan for a united attack on the government may get a jolt as some parties like Samajwadi Party and JD(U) do not seem to be on the same page with it on the issue of seeking External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s resignation over the lalit Modi controversy.
Congress, which has given a number of suggestions on the key GST bill, is waiting for the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha to table its report, while it has completely red-flagged the land bill.