Opposition seeks CBI probe into job scam

PATNA: The BJP-led opposition on Monday created noisy scenes in both the houses demanding CBI probe into the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) paper leak scam and arrest of JD(U) suspended MLA Mewalal Choudhary for his involvement in the Bihar Agriculture University (BAU) appointments fraud during his tenure as VC in 2012. The opposition MLCs also demanded the arrest of former state Congress vice-president Brajesh Pandey in the sex scandal case.
The opposition also demanded from the government to disclose the names of nine ministers and 27 MLAs and MLCs allegedly involved in the BSSC job racket. Leader of opposition in the state assembly Prem Kumar said his claims were based on newspaper reports. They brought adjournment notice which Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary rejected and adjourned the house after question hour.
Some of the opposition members had entered the well of the house while holding placards.
Interestingly, the Speaker “requested” the leader of opposition to ask his party members to return to their seats five times, but to no avail. After CM Nitish Kumar entered the house, Prem sought his statement on the matter.
Earlier, before the house met, former CM and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular founder Jitan Ram Manjhi made a sensational claim that he was in possession of “some papers” and would reveal the names of ministers, legislators and officials showing their alleged involvement in the BSSC exam question paper leak.
The legislative council was adjourned thrice as the opposition members sought former BAU VC’s arrest. The opposition also demanded immediate arrest of Congress’s Brajesh Pandey for his involvement in a high-profile sex scandal case lodged by a Dalit girl.
Council vice-chairman Haroon Rashid asked the opposition members to let the question hour continue, but BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi (SuMo) said it was more important to discuss issues involving Choudhary and Pandey than anything else.
SuMo said Justice (retd) Syed Mohammed Mahfooz Alam probe report clearly indicted Choudhary in BAU teachers’ appointment racket. “It has been five days since the FIR has been lodged against Choudhary, yet he has not been arrested because he is close to CM Nitish Kumar,” he said.
Later, talking to newsmen, SuMo said the BAU probe report has mentioned words like ‘forgery, favouritism, large-scale bungling’ for Choudhary. “Four years back, Choudhary’s involvement in the appointment scam came to light, still CM Nitish gave him JD(U) ticket to contest election from Tarapur,” said SuMo.
He further said it was not his party, rather daughter of a former Dalit Congress leader who had accused Congress leader Pandey.
On the IAS officers association’s protest over senior IAS official Sudhir Kumar’s arrest, SuMo said, “Government cannot function without bureaucrats. If IAS officers are taking to streets and demanding CBI inquiry, the CM should agree.” He said Sudhir had worked with him in mines and geology department and he was a clean officer. However, he said he was not giving any certificate and referred to the time Sudhir worked with him.
SuMo also questioned the way Sudhir was arrested from Hazaribag while he was on leave and that, too, by a DSP rank officer. “Instead of the SSP, an IG rank officer should have headed the SIT. Also, more than a dozen ruling party legislators are involved in the scam, but the government is protecting them,” he alleged.