BJP welcomes PM’s fast-track court decision on paper leaks, slams Oppn over politics on issue
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 23 Jul: BJP in Uttarakhand today strongly welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to establish fast-track courts for paper leak cases and described the decision as a major step towards protecting the interests of students and ensuring swift justice against those involved in examination-related irregularities. Addressing a joint press conference at the state BJP headquarters here, today, along with BJP General Secretary Deepti Rawat, Cabinet Minister Khajan Das asserted that the BJP-led governments consider the country’s youth and their future as their highest priority. He also accused the Opposition of attempting to politicise the issue. Das also strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he had misused his constitutional privileges by violating the Prime Minister’s security protocol for political purposes.
Das said the welfare of students is of utmost importance to Prime Minister Modi and that every decision taken by his government reflects this commitment. He said no individual found guilty of jeopardising the future of students would be spared. Welcoming the Prime Minister’s announcement, he said fast-track courts would be constituted to ensure speedy disposal of all the paper leak cases and prompt, stringent punishment for those found guilty.
Das reminded that necessary directions have already been issued to the departments concerned for implementing the decision. Highlighting the Centre’s measures to safeguard students’ interests, Das said the accused in the NEET paper leak case would now be prosecuted under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which had come into force on June 21, 2024. He said the legislation had been enacted to ensure strict action against paper leaks, cheating, solver gangs, misuse of electronic devices and other unfair practices in public examinations. The law provides for stringent punishment and heavy financial penalties for those convicted. He added that the Central Government had requested the concerned State Governments and High Courts to establish special fast-track courts, and proposals were being prepared for courts falling under the jurisdictions of the Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh High Courts.
The Minister said the proposed fast track courts would conduct day-to-day hearings in NEET paper leak cases to ensure that investigations and trials were completed without delay and judgments delivered expeditiously. According to him, the establishment of special courts would not only accelerate legal proceedings against the accused but also send a strong message about the transparency and credibility of public examinations while acting as a deterrent against future incidents of organised cheating and paper leaks. He further claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has almost completed its investigation into the NEET paper leak case and would soon file a chargesheet against 13 arrested accused.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi, the Congress and other Opposition parties, Das questioned why they are avoiding a discussion on the issue in Parliament. He said this is not the time for politics but for finding solutions to the problems faced by the students. According to him, the Opposition is not interested in discussing the NEET issue but was instead attempting to create disruption. He maintained that students and their concerns should not be politicised and reiterated that the BJP wants a comprehensive discussion on the issue in Parliament under any rule and for any duration considered appropriate. He alleged that while the government is prepared for an extensive debate on NEET and related issues, Rahul Gandhi, the Congress and the INDIA bloc are attempting to obstruct the functioning of Parliament.
Das further claimed that paper leaks have also occurred during the tenure of Congress-led governments but asserted that it was the Modi Government that had introduced stringent legal and administrative measures to make examinations leak-proof. He said dozens of arrests had been made and three leak-proof examinations had been successfully conducted during the past month. Comparing the expenditure on education, he claimed that the education budget had increased from Rs 8,225 crore during the UPA Government to Rs 1.39 lakh crore under the present dispensation. He also reminded of the expansion of AIIMS, IITs and colleges across the country and added that the BJP is committed to find a permanent solution to the problem rather than merely debating it.
State BJP General Secretary Deepti Rawat said the Dhami Government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, had undertaken historic measures to curb cheating and paper leaks in Uttarakhand. She said the State’s stringent anti-copying law have effectively eliminated examination mafias, with hundreds of offenders being arrested and a transparent and honest examination system established. According to her, these reforms had enabled the government to achieve a record of more than 40,000 government appointments without allegations of irregularities or corruption.
She said that whenever any case had come to light in recent years, the state government had acted swiftly and firmly, ordering CBI investigations and conducting re-examinations wherever necessary in accordance with the aspirations of the youth. Referring to a recent case, she said the accused had been removed from service immediately after the matter came to light and a fresh examination would be conducted. Although the incident related only to an internal examination of a single college, she said the government had treated it with utmost seriousness and was ensuring action in accordance with the law.
Rawat also asserted that the BJP Government would not allow anyone to compromise the future of the youth under any circumstances. She said strict action would be taken against those responsible, irrespective of political considerations. Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘GYAN’, she said the BJP fully understands the importance of the country’s youth, whose contribution would be crucial in achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047. She added that the government would never compromise on issues affecting the interests and future of young people.
BJP State Media In-charge Manveer Chauhan, Co-In-charge Rajendra Negi and BJP State Spokesperson Mathura Dutt Joshi were also present at the press conference.
