Congress claims Assam CM's office involved in police recruitment paper leak scam

The Congress' Assam unit on Wednesday alleged that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's office was involved in the police recruitment question paper leak scam and he should resign.

State Congress president Ripun Bora and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia claimed that the police were arresting only small players and trying to cover the main culprits behind the scam and ruling BJP leaders are associated with it.

"The CM's office is directly involved in this police recruitment scam. The name of a lady stenographer of an OSD in the CM's office is coming up. Why was not she interrogated?" Bora said in a press conference.

"This police probe is trying to cover the main culprits by arresting small players. The government and many senior BJP leaders are involved in it," he claimed.

The question paper of the written examination for 597 posts of unarmed sub-inspectors in Assam Police got leaked on September 20, and the test was cancelled minutes after it had commenced across the state.

At least 20 people were arrested in this connection and the police announced a reward of Rs one lakh for any information leading to the arrest of each of the two key accused - ex-DIG P K Dutta and BJP leader Diban Deka.

The question paper leak scam for recruitment of unarmed sub-inspectors in Assam Police clearly shows the failure of the Home Department which is under Sonowal, Saikia said in a statement.

"The nefarious racket was being operated from the Chief Minister's Secretariat, and various leaders and workers of the BJP are involved in it," the statement read.

The state government headed by Sonowal has been depriving eligible youths of the state by "operating illegal syndicates" pertaining to recruitment in various departments, Saikia claimed.

"Sarbananda Sonowal should resign on moral grounds and seek a fresh mandate from the people of Assam in view of the state government's failure to fulfil all major electoral promises and exposure of multiple recruitment-related scandals," he said.

The Congress leader said that the chief minister had promised the people of Assam to provide good governance and a corruption-free administration, implement the Assam Accord in letter and spirit and gave his words on many other issues.

"However, not a single promise has been fulfilled and on the contrary, every sphere of governance was being marred by corruption and irregularities," Saikia claimed.

Meanwhile, Congress workers staged protests in Guwahati and some other places in the state in protest against the police recruitment question paper leak scandal.

The police baton-charged the Congress workers in Guwahati and detained them.

Saikia condemned the police action and demanded an enquiry into the incident.

Eight days before the recruitment examination, the State Level Police Recruitment Board that conducts the test had also issued a notice cautioning candidates against touts after an audio clip that promised job in sub-inspector posts against a payment of Rs 4 lakh in cash went viral.