Cong would probe 'Vyapam' scam through 'Jan Aayog' if elected:

The Congress would probe the "Vyapam scam" by setting up a non-political body if it is voted to power in Madhya Pradesh in the assembly polls due later this year, state unit president Kamal Nath said here today.

He said the party would constitute "Jan Aayog" (public commission) to probe various "irregularities committed during the current BJP rule" if it assumes power.

The alleged scam in admissions and recruitments in Madhya Pradesh is commonly known as the Vyapam scam.

Vyapam is the Hindi acronym of the Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal or Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB).

The scam, allegedly involving politicians, board officials and middlemen, came to light in 2013.

 

The scam involved 13 different exams conducted by Vyapam, for selection of medical students and state government employees (including food inspectors, transport constables, police personnel, school teachers, dairy supply officers and forest guards) where the final results were rigged.

The Congress had demanded resignation of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the alleged scam.

"If voted to power, we will constitute a Jan Aayog, a non-political body, to probe irregularities like the Vyapam recruitment scam that occurred during the current BJP rule, to bring out truth," Nath told reporters.

The Congress leader demanded that the government return the examination fees it had collected from 15 lakh candidates who had appeared for various exams conducted by the MPPEB in the last ten years.

He said the Congress would return the fees, if not the BJP, after coming to power.

Nath also demanded that the government slash the Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel to bring down "soaring" rates of petrol and diesel.

He accused the chief minister of "misleading" the common people by announcing welfare measures, including waiving the power bills, with an eye on polls.

"The government fund is being used for the Chief Minister's ongoing 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra', which is a political programme," he alleged.

Replying to a question, Nath wondered why the BJP being a political party didn't have any complaints regarding the electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress had accused the BJP government in the state of electoral misconduct by including the names of 60 lakh "fake voters" in the voters' list and requested the Election Commission to remove them from the rolls.

The opposition party had also claimed that over 17 lakh "fake" voters were found during a scrutiny of electoral rolls across 53 assembly constituencies in the state.