Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said on Monday that the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment exam scam would reach its finality in two-three weeks as the government was fighting the case in court to protect the interests of young aspirants.
On BJP’s allegations that a minister was involved in this (PSI recruitment exam) scam, Kharge shot back, saying the BJP should stop preaching about the conduct of recruitment exams as everyone was aware of how the BJP conducted those exams while it was in power.
“While the BJP was in power, they made statements that if the PSI recruitment scam was investigated properly I could be found guilty. Then, why did they not investigate the case and expose my involvement?,” Kharge said, speaking to reporters here.
They had all liberty to hand over this case to CBI or any other central investigation agency, why did they not do it?” he said.
On KEA exams
He said the government had taken steps like installing metal detectors at exam centres, extensively searching lodges for scam kingpins and closing down photocopying shops within a 200-metre radius of exam centres.
“Stray incidents of people being caught in bid to take help using Bluetooth devices will be investigated fairly,” he said.
BJP’s counter
Countering Kharge’s remarks, BJP general secretary N Ravi Kumar questioned why the government had not taken steps to arrest the main accused in the Bluetooth device scam R D Patil, who is said to be a Congress worker.
He alleged that around 20 candidates got an extra hour to write the examinations, which would not be possible without the involvement of higher-ups.
Kumar said the Yadgir and Kalaburagi BJP units would hold protests against the scam in a day or two.