The Assam government cancelled the police exam after the paper leak (Representational)
Ahead of next year's assembly election in Assam, the main opposition party Congress has started to corner the ruling BJP-led government over the Assam police sub-inspector exam paper leak scam, which has rocked the state for the past 10 days. The Congress on Wednesday organised protests in state capital Dispur, and top Congress leaders have written to the Assam Governor and the Union Home Minister over this issue.
The Congress on Wednesday took out a procession from Manabendra Sarma Complex in Dispur to the Assam Secretariat. State congress chief and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora called for a high-level judicial inquiry to probe the matter. Mr Bora said that the paper leak must be probed by the Gauhati High Court. Some 400 Congress workers were detained by the police and later released.
Last week, the Assam Police had issued a lookout notice against Diban Deka, a state BJP leader who had also contested the 2011 assembly election, and former Deputy Inspector General PK Dutta in connection with the question paper leak.
The exam was scheduled to be held on September 20 but was cancelled minutes after it began, when it was realised that the paper had been leaked on social media.
Over 20 people have been arrested so far, but Deka and PK Dutta, whom the police have said are the main accused, remain at large. Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta has announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information about the two men's whereabouts.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday said once the findings of the investigation are out, all aspects of the scam will come to the fore. He said the inquiry ordered into the scam was not the result of any complaint. Within 15 minutes of the reported leak of question papers, the state government cancelled the examination.
Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Debabrata Saikia wrote to Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi asking to launch an enquiry by a judge of the Gauhati High Court without delay to probe every aspect of the scam.
The Congress MP from Assam and Deputy Leader of the party in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi wrote to the Home Minister Amit Shah demanding a CBI inquiry.