Congress leader Priyank Kharge has hit out at the BJP government in the state and accused it of trying to protect those involved in the PSI recruitment scam.
Addressing a news conference on Saturday, Kharge released two audio clips containing a conversation purportedly between home minister Araga Jnanendra and an unnamed PSI job aspirant.
In the audio clips, the PSI job aspirant is heard telling the home minister that the government has taken no action against those involved in the scam despite him providing evidence to him. The aspirant is also heard asking the minister not to go ahead with the recruitment of 402 police sub-inspectors.
Pointing out the audio clips are making rounds on social media, Kharge said the Congress has ten questions for the government regarding the PSI scam.
Referring to the audio clips, Kharge said that the home minister is heard telling the PSI aspirant that bail was given to those arrested due to some “technical problem”.
“What does technical problem mean? Is he suggesting that the government’s lawyers are incompetent? Nearly 56,000 youths have been cheated, and their future sold. Those involved in the scam are out on bail. Is the government trying to cover up the scam?” Kharge said.
“The candidate told the home minister that there was an irregularity in the recruitment of 402 posts and evidence has been submitted to the CID in this regard. But why is the recruitment process going before the investigation is completed?” Kharge asked.
Referring to the PSI aspirant asking why only ADGP Amrit Paul was arrested, Kharge said, “The aspirant also asks why only ADGP Amrit Paul was arrested when there was evidence against the DGP and Kalaburagi police commissioner. The minister is silent.”
Kharge pointed said there are complaints against three more MLAs. “Who are those three MLAs? What investigation was done against them? Are those three MLAs from Congress or BJP or JD(S)? Why not disclose information about this? This issue is also not being discussed in the session.”
Kharge said the government is only investigating the irregularities in the written exams.
“But there have been irregularities in the physical examination, and we have evidence for that too. Why is the government not investigating this?”
“We have provided you with all the evidence of illegal recruitments to 402 posts. Have you provided it to the CID? Where is that evidence? Why is this not being talked about?” Kharge questioned.
Reacting to Kharge’s allegation, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “The truth will come out through investigation.”
The alleged scam pertains to the Karnataka Police recruitment cell conducting an examination in October last year for filling up 545 vacancies of sub-inspectors in the state police department.
After the results were out, there were allegations of cheating, and corrupt practices in the examination, due to which the BJP government ordered a CID probe on the large-scale corruption. Over 54,000 candidates wrote the exams. The government has decided to hold the exam afresh, with nothing further on it.
In July, the CID arrested Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Amrit Paul, in connection with the scam. Paul was heading the recruitment division when the scam broke out, and the OMR sheets were allegedly tampered with in the office.
Various FIRs were filed by the police against candidates, middlemen and police officials in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi.
