Enquiry a trial by fire, grateful to court: Shivraj

Calling the Vyapam scam probe his “trial by fire”, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said he was “grateful” to the Supreme Court for accepting his request and ordering a CBI probe and urged the agency to begin investigation at the earliest to bring out the truth.Under relentless Congress’ attack for the large number of deaths of people allegedly linked with the scam in the State’s professional recruitment examination and the delay in agreeing to a CBI probe, Chouhan said he wanted the examination system to be fixed. The CM said had he so wished, there would have not been a probe into the scam. “I am grateful...

Whatever I have heard of the Supreme Court order. It said ‘we appreciate the stand taken by the Attorney General on behalf of the State Government and accept the request (for a CBI probe)’. I am very thankful to the apex court,” he told reporters.The Supreme Court has appreciated our prayer and accepted it, he noted. Fending off allegations of his involvement, he said, “This probe has been a trial by fire for me. Had I wished, there would be no probe. But I wanted anomalies in the system to be detected and fixed.”

He said the CBI should now begin its probe at the earliest. “The whole truth should come out before the nation.”Asked if he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, he replied in the negative.Asked about the Congress’ demand for his resignation, he said the opposition suffers from “Shivraj-phobia” and has been hitting him below the belt. “They have been demanding it 5-6 times a day,” he quipped.

Chouhan on Thursday met the family of journalist Akshay Singh, who died under mysterious circumstances while probing the Vyapam scam, and assured the family of an unbiased probe into his death and help in providing a Government job to his kin. “I am here to meet the family who has undergone a big loss. I have assured the family of all help and an unbiased probe into the cause of death (of Singh). I want that the truth should come out and we have sent the viscera samples to AIIIMS in Delhi. The mission of my life is that the entire truth in this case (Singh’s death and Vyapam case) should come out,” he said after meeting the family.

The CM, who was at the residence of Singh for about 30 minutes, said he has left the decision of choosing the nature of the job on the family and said there is a provision of providing government job to the kin at ‘Madhya Pradesh Bhavan’ in New Delhi.