Punjab Opposition Demands Ministers' Resignations Over Alleged Paper Leaks

Opposition parties including the BJP, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal are demanding the resignations of Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and Health Minister Balbir Singh. The demands follow allegations of at least six separate examination paper leaks, including the Class 12 English exam and the Teacher Eligibility Test. The controversy intensified after the Punjab Police dismantled an inter-state cheating racket on July 19 during a pharmacy officers' recruitment exam conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. In that incident, an 11-member gang used pen cameras and Bluetooth devices to relay answers to candidates for fees up to 13 lakh rupees.

Bhagwant Mann, the Chief Minister of Punjab, has denied that any official paper leaks occurred during his administration's four-and-a-half-year tenure, describing the pharmacy incident as a localized cheating attempt. This denial has sparked protests in New Delhi and Bathinda. On July 30, BJP leaders led by Harsh Malhotra protested outside the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters, accusing the government of maintaining double standards by demanding national accountability for leaks while ignoring irregularities in Punjab.

Parallel to the education crisis, Congress MPs have called for the Chief Minister's resignation over alleged police brutality against sanitation workers in Barnala who were protesting for pay increases. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice on a plea to cancel the compromised pharmacy recruitment exam.