PSI scam: Bommai defends Ashwath Narayan, slams Congress

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday defended his Cabinet colleague C N Ashwath Narayan, whom Congress has accused of being involved in the police sub-inspectors’ recruitment scam.

“Congress is making baseless allegations against Narayan,” Bommai told reporters. “As the opposition party, the Congress has its own responsibility. There has to be at least an iota of evidence while hurling allegations at somebody. But they’re doing hit-and-run, which won’t work,” he said.

Bommai’s defence came a day after Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah trained his guns on Narayan, the Higher Education minister. Congress leader claimed Narayan was linked to tainted candidates in the PSI recruitment scam.

“When the Congress was in power, copying happened and questions papers got leaked in several exams, including Pre-University and PSI recruitment. No action was taken,” Bommai said.

“Now that we’re taking action, Congress is scared that more skeletons will tumble out as some of their own people have been arrested. So, they’re doing hit-and-run. People won’t accept this,” Bommai said.

The government has ordered a CID probe following allegations of large-scale corruption in the recruitment of 545 police sub-inspectors, for which exams were held in October 2021. The government has also decided to annul exams results and conduct them afresh.

Impartial probe

Bommai said the government will consider any complaint that gets filed in connection with the PSI scam. “We will have them probed based on the evidence available. If any truth is found, the concerned people will be booked,” he said.

Bommai maintained that the government is carrying out an “impartial” probe into the scam. “That’s why you’re seeing even officials being probed. That itself is proof,” he said, adding that over 25 persons have been arrested so far. “Was a single person arrested for exam irregularities in the past?”