GUWAHATI, Sept 30 - Principal opposition Congress party today accused Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal of being involved in the SI exam question paper leak scam and called for his resignation.
The Congress held a protest in the city against the SI recruitment scam during which senior leaders, including State unit president Ripun Bora and former minister and Deputy Leader of Legislature Party Rakibul Hussain, were detained.
The party had organised a �Chief Minister�s Secretariat Gherao� programme this morning.
Addressing the media on the occasion, Bora said, �The Chief Minister is directly involved in this entire scam. So we demand the resignation of the Chief Minister. If Sonowal continues to occupy the Chief Minister�s chair then there is no scope for an impartial inquiry into the matter. The Chief Minister will interfere in the investigation.�
The Congress demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of high court. �Police cannot conduct an impartial inquiry into wrongdoings that have taken place in the police department itself... We have no faith in the CBI because the central agency is now merely a puppet in the hands of the BJP,� Bora said.
The Congress leader alleged that the question paper leak matter is directly related to attempt by the RSS and the BJP to �saffronize� the administration. �In all the BJP-ruled states the RSS has informally appointed one officer on special duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister concerned as part of the agenda to saffronize the entire machinery and administration of the respective state,� Bora said.
He further alleged that a lady stenographer working with an OSD to Sonowal had been involved in preparing the list of candidates in the SI exam. �We have been told that the CID went to question that lady stenographer and seize her computer. But the CID team was called back midway. This clearly proves that the Chief Minister is involved in the scam,� Bora said.
He said, �The paper leak took place when Pradip Kumar was chairman of the State Level Police Recruitment Board. Why has no action been taken against Kumar? Only resignation of Kumar is not enough. Reports have emerged that mock trials of the exam took place at residences of many BJP MLAs. Why has the Chief Minister not brought those legislators under the ambit of the investigation? ...Why no inquiry has been conducted to find out how the question papers came into possession of PK Dutta?"
Bora also displayed some photographs to the media on the occasion. The photos feature scam accused Diban Deka with some senior BJP leaders.
He alleged that similar wrongdoings have also taken place in other recruitments carried out by the State government during the past four and half years.
Bora said the Congress will hold demonstrations outside offices of superintendents of police across all districts on October 5 in protest against the SI recruitment scam.
