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NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal on Tuesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to address examination irregularities in Punjab, claiming that the state had witnessed six major paper leaks over the past five years.Speaking to reporters, Maliwal alleged that several instances of cheating had also come to light, including during a pharmacy examination held on July 19.“There have been six major paper leaks in Punjab over the past five years, and several instances of cheating in examinations have come to light. Even on July 19, there was massive cheating in the pharmacy examination. Arvind Kejriwal, who is functioning like a ‘super CM’ in Punjab, has maintained complete silence on the issue. The Punjab Chief Minister continues to make irresponsible statements,” Maliwal said. Maliwal alleged that Arvind Kejriwal had created and financially backed the “Cockroach Janata Party” (CJP), claiming it was formed by his close associates. She further claimed that the party had run extensive paid social media campaigns to build public pressure for accountability in the education sector.“Arvind Kejriwal created the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ and funded it heavily; it was his own associates who formed this party. They ran massive paid campaigns on social media, attempting to create an atmosphere in the country demanding accountability in education. However, when it comes to his own state of Punjab, he falls completely silent…The Punjab Education Minister must resign immediately,” Maliwal added. On July 19, Punjab Police busted an alleged inter-state cheating racket operating during the pharmacy officer recruitment examination. Seven alleged masterminds were arrested, while 28 candidates were detained in connection with the case. Police recovered 27 battery-operated wireless cheating devices, including pen cameras and real-time dictation tools.The examination, conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences on behalf of the state Health and Family Welfare Department, was held for 454 pharmacy officer posts across 25 centres in Faridkot, Kotkapura and Ferozepur, with nearly 7,000 candidates appearing, as cited by PTI.Police said their investigation found no evidence of a question paper leak or the involvement of any government official.However, opposition parties have alleged paper leaks in several other examinations in Punjab, including the Naib Tehsildar recruitment exam, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class 12 English examination, the Agriculture Development Officers recruitment exam and the Subordinate Services Selection Board (SSSB) Group B Officers examination.On Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann maintained that there had not been a single competitive examination paper leak during the AAP government’s four-and-a-half years in office. At a protest in Delhi, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused Mann of making false claims by denying that paper leaks had occurred during his tenure.
