Jaipur, Jan 22 (PTI) Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday targeted the BJP government in the state over the alleged tampering of OMR sheets in recruitment examinations, accusing it of using a serious issue merely as a political tool instead of ensuring justice.
Amid a sharp exchange between Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and him over the issue during the day, the Congress leader said allegations and counter-allegations by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma over the issue would not deliver justice to the youth.
Gehlot said he was not levelling misleading allegations like the chief minister and was only urging the government, based on feedback he had received, to act in the interest of young aspirants.
Earlier in the day, Gehlot had alleged that the BJP government was turning serious issues such as paper leaks and OMR manipulation into a political tool and demanded a thorough probe into all recruitment examinations conducted in 2024 and 2025.
Responding to the allegation, Chief Minister Sharma, during a programme in Sirohi, claimed that OMR sheets in examinations held in 2019 had been tampered with and alleged that the matter “reaches up to the former chief minister’s house”. He also questioned the role of Gehlot’s personal security officer (PSO) in that case.
Later in the night, Gehlot took to X to say that he had not made any allegations against the chief minister and was only making an appeal in the interest of the youth. “Making statements against me will not ensure justice to the young people. We are not making allegations to mislead the public. You should think with a cool mind,” he said.
The veteran Congress leader asked CM Sharma to clarify whether OMR sheets in the 2024 and 2025 examinations had been tampered with. Aspirants are seeking answers as the “unusually high” cut-off marks were raising doubts, Gehlot said.
He said if irregularities had occurred, stringent action should be taken under the law enacted during the previous Congress government, which provides for life imprisonment, a fine of Rs 10 crore and confiscation of property of the guilty, along with ensuring transparency in exam results.
Gehlot’s remarks came a day after the Special Operations Group (SOG) arrested the technical head of the Rajasthan Staff Selection Board and four others in connection with the OMR manipulation case. PTI AG NSD NSD
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