Punjab Newsline | New Delhi
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has strongly rejected allegations of paper leaks in the state, asserting that no examination paper has been leaked during his government’s tenure. Responding to questions from the media, Mann said that the recent controversy related to a cheating case, not a paper leak, and maintained that Punjab follows a strict merit-based recruitment system.
The Chief Minister said that his government has completed four and a half years in office, and during this period not a single paper leak incident has taken place.
Referring to a recent pharmacy examination, he explained that the test began at 11 a.m., and within 15 minutes authorities detected suspicious activity involving Bluetooth-enabled pens. According to Mann, some candidates were allegedly scanning questions and receiving answers from outside through headphones.
Mann stated that as soon as the Bluetooth cheating racket came to light, the police acted swiftly and arrested 10 students along with 11 members of an outside gang allegedly involved in the operation. He emphasized that the examination itself remained secure and was conducted properly, adding that the incident was a case of technological cheating rather than a leak of the question paper.
Addressing criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has raised the paper leak issue in Parliament, Mann said the BJP should first focus on its own problems. He claimed that his government has provided more than 68,800 jobs in Punjab without taking a single rupee as bribe and reiterated that appointments are made solely on the basis of merit.
Taking a swipe at opposition parties, the Chief Minister said that the era of paper leaks and corrupt recruitment practices belongs to the past. He added that the BJP, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal should worry about their own political situation instead of targeting the Aam Aadmi Party government.
Mann concluded by reaffirming his government’s commitment to transparent examinations, strict action against cheating networks, and merit-based employment opportunities for Punjab’s youth.
