NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, DECEMBER 6
Ahead of the commencement of the stormy Assembly session on Monday, the Gujarat Government announced a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into various allegations of irregularities and paper leak in the recently held recruitment exam which will submit the report within 10 days. The announcement was made by Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja in a joint press conference with two of the leaders of the protesting job aspirants on Thursday evening.
Jadeja declared the formation of the four-member SIT in a joint press conference with two of the leaders of the protesting job aspirants, Yuvrajsinh Jadeja and Hardik Prajapati. The four members of the SIT are Principal Secretary (General Administration Department or GAD) Kamal Dayani, Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Manoj Sashidharan, Inspector General of Police (Gandhinagar Range) Mayanksinh Chavda, and Additional Secretary (GAD) Jwalant Trivedi.
While Dayani has been named chairman of the SIT, Trivedi is named as member secretary. None of the protesters have been made part of the SIT. Minister Jadeja said that SIT is an official body and therefore a non-government official cannot be part of it.
“As demanded by the candidates, the SIT will finish its probe within 10 days and submit its report to the government. The inquiry panel would probe allegations of paper-leak, mass-copying or any other irregularities during the exam. We will not declare the result of the exam until the
SIT submits its report,” Jadeja told reporters.
Hundreds of job aspirants, who had appeared for the written test conducted by the Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board (GSSSB) on November 17, held a protest in Gandhinagar seeking cancellation of the exam held for recruiting 3,910 non-secretariat clerks and office assistants.
As the protest, which was launched following complaints of copying and cheating during the exam, continued for the second day on Thursday, the government decided to discuss the issue with the protesters.
While a section of candidates accepted the government’s move to form the SIT, several others are adamant on their demand for cancellation of the exam.
Aggrieved candidates have been alleging that although copying occurred at several centres during the exam, the BJP government was turning a blind eye to protect those candidates who were linked to the party.
NCP national secretary Shankersinh Vaghela and Gujarat Pradesh Congress Ciommittes (GPCC) president Amit Chavda met the protesters in Gandhinagar on Thursday morning and extended their support.
Initially, the protesting candidates opposed Amit Chavda, but then they let him sit with them for some time. Later, Patidar youth leader Hardik Patel who joined the Congress came in support. However, he faced stiff opposition from the protesters who even shouted slogans against him. At one point, the protesters deserted Hardik and gathered on the road away from him. Eventually, Hardik left the spot. After this, leader of Karni Sena Raj Shekhawat arrived at the spot.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the government will “do everything possible to ensure justice to the hard-working candidates” and also assured that action will be taken after an inquiry.
“My government is committed to take action following an inquiry into the allegations of mass-copying and paper leak. We are committed to make sure that wrong people do not get jobs. We will do everything possible to ensure justice to the hard working candidates. I am confident that the issue will be resolved through dialogue,” he said in Anand town earlier in the day.
Jadeja had earlier refuted opposition Congress’s claim of large-scale irregularities, saying that the Board had received only 39 written complaints of cheating.
Over 10 lakh candidates had applied for the exam, while over 6 lakh appeared for it.
The SIT has been mandated to probe into various aspects of the episode such as instances of paper leak, copying or other irregularity. The SIT will have the freedom to take help of the Home Department, GAD and Forensic Science Laboratory. And the SIT will also consider various written and oral representations from the candidates.
The complaints received by state authorities so far in connection with the examination will also be transferred to the SIT. Jadeja said that result of the examination will be kept reserved till the SIT submits its report to the state government. He added that the SIT will hold a meeting with the representatives of the protesting job aspirants — Yuvrajsinh Jadeja, Hardik Prajapati, Yuvrajsinh Gohil and Bhavsinh Sarvaiya — on Friday.
So far, Minister Jadeja refuted any paper leak in the episode while indicating possible irregularities that can be probed. On Wednesday, Jadeja stated that police have already registered an FIR in Palanpur of Banaskantha related to copying in the examination. In that case, Jadeja said, one candidate had illegally taken pictures of the question paper on mobile phone from the examination hall and sent it to another person through WhatsApp and the latter sent him the answer key.
During all the entry and exit of various leaders from the protest camp, leader of the protesters Yuvrajsinh Jadeja kept going away and coming back to the place. In the morning, Jadeja held a meeting with Gandhinagar Collector Kuldeep Arya and IG Mayanksinh Chavda at the Collector Office where the idea of forming an SIT to look into the grievances of the candidates floated for the first time. When Yuvrajsinh Jadeja came back to the protest camp after the meeting and talked about the formation of SIT, he faced opposition from the people present there who did not want anything, but cancellation of examination.
Congress leaders Amit Chavda, Paresh Dhanani and Hardik Patel came back to the site late in the night after protesters regrouped there.
In the evening, Yuvrajsinh Jadeja addressed the gathering from a distance and apparently under police protection telling them that let him give evidence to the SIT while expressing confidence that it will force the government to cancel the examination. After addressing the gathering, Yuvrajsinh was swiftly taken away by police in a police vehicle without letting media to speak with him. He, later, emerged with MoS Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja at the Collector’s office to address a joint press conference.
During the press conference, Yuvrajsinh Jadeja expressed confidence that he will not have to protest again as the evidence to be produced by him before the SIT will be sufficient to prove their point (of paper leak). He, however, did not give clear answer to queries regarding his earlier demand of cancellation of exam and nothing else.
Meanwhile, the development seemed to have not only taken the sheen out of the agitation, but also divided the protesters. After the press conference by Minister Jadeja, majority of the protesters left the protest camp even as around 100 of them still holding the ground seeking cancellation of examination.
Jaydeep Chaudhary from Mehsana said, “We are not satisfied with this SIT. We do not want anything, but cancellation of the examination. Around 100-200 of us are still at the protest site and if nothing happens, we will start a hunger strike at the site from tomorrow.” Jaydeep expressed suspicion that Yuvrajsinh could have been won over by the state government to accept the formation of SIT.
Another protesting candidate, Yashvi Chaudhary from Gandhinagar said that she was also not happy with the formation of SIT and that she would also join the protesting candidates.
