- Punjab CM defended transparent hiring, claiming 69,000 merit-based jobs.
- CM clarified pharmacy exam involved cheating, not a paper leak.
- Mann accused opposition of spreading false narratives against the state.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday hit back at the BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal over allegations of paper leaks in the state, asserting that his government has maintained a transparent recruitment process and provided nearly 69,000 government jobs solely on merit. He accused the Opposition of attempting to damage Punjab’s image and unfairly target the state’s youth for political purposes.
Speaking during his visit to Parliament, where he met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several Members of Parliament, Mann urged political parties to stop spreading what he described as false narratives about Punjab and instead engage in political debate on substantive issues.
Mann Says Recruitment Based Solely on Merit
Addressing reporters, the Chief Minister stressed that the state’s recruitment process has remained free from corruption during his tenure.
He said,“The beauty of democracy is that people should continue to meet and interact with one another. Differences in ideology are natural in politics and they will always exist, but they should never become differences of heart.”
Rejecting the Opposition’s allegations of question paper leaks, Mann said his government had completed four-and-a-half years in office without a single examination paper being leaked.
“Our government has completed four-and-a-half years in office, but not a single examination paper has leaked in Punjab during this period,” he added.
He also highlighted the government’s recruitment record, saying around 69,000 government jobs had been provided without recommendations, bribery or political influence.
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Chief Minister Explains Pharmacy Exam Cheating Case
Responding to criticism over a recent pharmacy examination, Mann clarified that the incident involved cheating rather than a paper leak.
He said, “A few days ago, we did detect a case of cheating during a pharmacy examination. The exam started at 11 am, and by 11:15 am we had found that a candidate was using a Bluetooth-enabled pen to scan the question paper and receive answers through an earpiece from people sitting outside. The Punjab Police acted immediately, arrested 10 candidates along with an 11-member gang operating from outside, and sent them to jail. Punjab works on the principle of ‘No Cash, No Farmaish’, only merit.”
He further stated that the examination was conducted under the Health Department, not the Education Department, and therefore rejected the Opposition’s demand for the Education Minister’s resignation.
“First of all, the pharmacy examination did not fall under the Education Department but under the Health Department. The Health Minister has already clarified that there was no paper leak. It was merely an attempt at cheating, which was immediately stopped, and the examination concluded successfully. Paper leaks cannot happen in Punjab,” he said.
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Opposition Parties Come Under Fire
Taking aim at the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mann claimed the party no longer enjoys significant political support in Punjab. He also criticised the BJP over its protests on the issue. He said, “The Akali Dal no longer has any standing in Punjab. How much support do they even have now? As for the BJP, before staging protests outside Parliament, it should first look after Jantar Mantar.”
The Chief Minister reiterated that transparency had become the hallmark of recruitment in Punjab under his administration.
“I stand before the people after providing 68,855 government jobs without taking a single rupee and purely on the basis of merit. Cheating and corruption in recruitment have become things of the past in Punjab. The BJP, Congress and Akali Dal should first put their own house in order instead of worrying about the ‘Jhaadu’ (broom),” he said.
Mann maintained that his government had established a recruitment system rooted in merit and accountability, while accusing the Opposition of attempting to score political points by questioning the integrity of Punjab’s examination process.
