Scams @2024: Major political controversies that made headlines this year

From Delhi's liquor policy fallout to NEET exam leaks, 2024 was a year of explosive scandals. Read on to know more about the controversies that defined this year

The year 2024 saw multiple political scandals that rocked the nation. From financial scams to recruitment fraud, the fallout implicated politicians, bureaucrats, and private entities. Here’s a look at the scandals that dominated headlines this year.

 

Delhi liquor policy case

 

The Delhi liquor policy case remained in the limelight this year as top Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders were arrested by central probe agencies. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal joined his party colleagues in jail after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in March 2024.

 

Besides Kejriwal, other top AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Sanjay Singh are also accused in the case. Kejriwal, who ran the Delhi government from jail, resigned from the post of chief minister amid growing pressure and named Atishi as his successor.

 

 

The beleaguered leader is now seeking another shot at the top post in the Delhi Assembly elections in February 2025 in a bid to reclaim his image as an anti-corruption crusader.

 

Jharkhand land 'scam'

 

Another chief minister went to jail this year in connection with an alleged scam. Hemant Soren, leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for his alleged role in the Jharkhand land scam case.

 

The scandal revolves around the illegal acquisition of approximately 1,800 acres of tribal land using forged documents, backdated deeds, and manipulated records. Investigations revealed that laws protecting tribal land were systematically bypassed, allowing the land to be sold to private entities.

 

However, unlike Kejriwal, Soren quit the CM post before his arrest and named party loyalist Champai Soren as his successor. After he was released on bail in June, Hemant Soren reassumed the role of chief minister and successfully led his party to victory in the state assembly elections.

 

MUDA land 'scam'

 

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah faced the heat after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot gave the nod to an investigation against him over the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. The chief minister, facing allegations that his family benefited from irregularities in the land allotment scheme, denied the charges.

 

The case involves allegations that compensatory plots were allocated to Siddaramaiah's wife, BM Parvathi, in a premium area of Mysuru with higher property value than her original 3.16-acre land acquired by MUDA. In return, MUDA allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme after developing her land into a residential layout.

 

Siddaramaiah challenged the Governor's order in the Karnataka High Court. The court ruled in favor of the Governor, saying he was within his rights to take "independent decisions if exceptional circumstances arise."

 

Tirupati laddu controversy

 

The laddu prasadam offered at the famous Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh became the center of controversy after reports emerged about the presence of animal fat in the ghee used in its making. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party government of giving tenders to certain ghee providers without proper checks. In response, the YSR Congress Party accused Naidu of making allegations for political gains.

 

The matter reached the Supreme Court, where the bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan rapped the Naidu government for going public with allegations without conclusive proof. Acting on the court's direction, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations of adulterated ghee.

 

NEET UG exams

 

In 2024, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) faced significant controversy due to allegations of a paper leak and irregularities in the examination process. In a high-profile case in Rajasthan, the police arrested 18 people, including coaching institute staff and students, for allegedly leaking the NEET exam paper. Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh, the Special Task Force (STF) arrested five people involved in a similar racket. The ED joined the investigations to probe the money laundering aspect of the racket.

 

In response to growing concerns, the Ministry of Education formed a four-member committee to investigate the results of the 1,563 students who were given grace marks. National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Kumar Singh denied any irregularities in the results, explaining that the grace marks and a relatively easier paper compared to previous years were the reasons for the 67 top rankers. In June, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan rejected the allegations of a paper leak as baseless, stating that "the allegations of corruption in the NTA are unfounded."

 

The NEET paper leak became a hot topic of debate in Parliament, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raising the issue in the Lok Sabha. The matter further stoked political controversy after the BJP alleged Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav's link to the paper leak, which the Bihar leader vehemently denied.

 

(With agency inputs)