New Delhi: The Rajasthan BJP government, led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, finds itself in a tough spot after a single-judge bench of the Rajasthan High Court cancelled the 2021 state exam for the recruitment of sub-inspectors over paper leak and corruption, despite the state government pleading against the cancellation.
The exams were held between 13 and 15 September 2021. More than 7.97 lakh candidates took the exam for 859 posts.
The controversial exam happened under the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, but it is the BJP-led state dispensation now that is facing the fallout. The cancellation over widespread corruption and paper leaks has not only embarrassed the ruling BJP, but also exposed deep divisions within its ranks with public assertion of differences between two cabinet ministers over the issue.
Despite initial promises to act swiftly, the BJP government’s delayed response and mixed signals have given the Congress the ammunition to attack the BJP.
Senior BJP leader and Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena, who also led the agitation for the cancellation of the exam, hailed the court’s decision as a victory of truth and struggle. He claimed he had suggested to the chief minister to cancel the exam, but his advice was ignored.
Law Minister Jogaram Patel, however, defended the government. “The court did not cancel the exam; it only made observations.” But, he later backtracked.
After a year-long legal hearing, the Rajasthan High Court cancelled the 2021 SI exam on 28 August, indicting six members and the chairperson of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC).
“It is very difficult to identify those who took the exam with honesty and those who benefited from leaked papers. But if a single person becomes a constable through a leaked paper, this will not be right,” the court remarked in its judgment.
The court noted that a committee formed by the government confirmed that the fraud was systematic, with leaked papers widely distributed and interviews also manipulated, making it practically impossible to distinguish between genuine candidates and those who benefited from corruption. “Retaining the recruitment would mean legitimising large scale corruption.”
Immediately after the verdict, Agriculture Minister Meena hailed it as a “victory for the unemployed youth”.
Meena took a swipe at the chief minister for not acting sooner, stating, “As soon as the BJP formed the government (in December 2023), I suggested to the chief minister to cancel the exam. Even in government meetings, I raised the issue, but no action was taken. The government formed an SOG (Special Operations Group) and SIT, but the chief minister is the only one who can explain this now. The BJP could have taken credit for canceling the exam and won the hearts of the unemployed youth. Hanuman Beniwal (Rashtriya Loktantrik Party) took credit from us, suggesting it to Gehlot, but Gehlot did not cancel the exam.”
The BJP government is now in a state of dilemma on how to handle the issue. On one hand, its own minister Meena and opposition leader Hanuman Beniwal are celebrating the decision. On the other, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel added to the confusion by asserting in a press conference that “the exam has not been canceled; it’s merely an observation.”
“If you study the court’s decision,” Patel went on to say, “it hasn’t cancelled the SI recruitment. The state government will review the verdict in consultation with the Rajasthan Public Service Commission and the law department.”
However, Patel later backtracked and said, “The law department will examine the judgment to determine whether the state government or the RPSC should issue the cancellation order. The government will seek RPSC’s opinion after the court’s cancellation order.”
The Rajasthan law minister even suggested affected candidates pursue appeals against the high court’s decision.
Meanwhile, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat supported the state government’s stance.
“Although I haven’t read the judgment, it primarily looks like the court has left the decision to the government. It’s not fair that some people committed the sin, but others are suffering. The state government is considering the matter from this perspective. I think there is a need to review the decision in detail. The government’s intent has always been to punish those involved in the paper leak. Many people left their jobs and prepared for 3-4 years for this exam.”
Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who had led a yatra against the Gehlot government and demanded cancelling the exam, said, “The Bhajan Lal government has been delaying this issue for two years. It’s a slap in the face of the government. It’s not just about honest candidates but about the entire process and the RPSC. The RPSC should be constituted on the lines of the UPSC. No one has the right to play with the future of students.”
The BJP flip-flop
The BJP government’s flip-flop began soon after it came to power in 2023. The BJP was in opposition when the paper leak occurred under the Gehlot government. The party led a large-scale agitation for the cancellation of the exam, using it as a political tool to consolidate youth support in its favour before the elections.
The BJP promised that if it came to power, the exam would be cancelled and a Special Investigation Team formed to probe the entire matter. And after coming to power, the BJP government did constitute the SIT to probe the paper leak cases.
Its Special Operations Group arrested trainee SI Daluram Meena, who was selected in the 2021 exam, in February 2024. It was the first arrest in the case, and it exposed the statewide network, and since then the SOG arrested 120 accused including 54 trainee SIs.
In September 2024, former RPSC member Ramu Ram Raika was arrested, and the SIT recommended the cancellation of the exam. However, despite recommendations from the SIT (headed by ADG V. K. Singh), the SOG and police headquarters to cancel the exam, the Bhajan Lal government appeared hesitant.
In a Cabinet meeting too, Meena pushed for the cancellation of the exam after which the government formed a sub-committee under Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patel.
The cabinet subcommittee, also including Meena, suggested that “only 6.3 percent of the examinees were found to be involved (in the malpractices) in the SOG probe, and it would be premature to cancel the exam as the SIT is in the process of segregating the tainted from untainted candidates.”
“Bureaucrats misled government into not cancelling exam. (They claimed if the exam is cancelled), others will suffer too. Maybe, the bureaucrats have their own interest as it is a huge nexus,” said a Rajasthan BJP vice president.
When the court expressed displeasure over the slow pace of progress on the issue, the Bhajan Lal government said in July 2025 that it would not cancel the exam. Advocate General Rajendra Prasad, representing the government, said “The decision to continue with the recruitment process is based on the cabinet sub-committee’s recommendation approved by the chief minister.”
While delivering the judgement, the court acknowledged the state government’s efforts in forming the SIT and arresting the culprits, but it criticised the government for its inaction despite glaring evidence.
‘Na maya mili na Ram’
A Rajasthan BJP vice president told ThePrint, “Our government’s intention was right—to fix culprits and bring transparency in the exam process. That is why the government formed the SIT, and the SOG arrested people. But later bureaucrats misled the government into not cancelling the exam. (They claimed if the exam is cancelled), others will suffer too. Maybe, the bureaucrats have their own interest as it is a huge nexus.”
“Now, after the court cancelled the exam, even the Congress is raising a question mark on our government for ‘not acting’. Hanuman Beniwal took the credit. We have been labelled culprits for obstructing the cancellation. Our situation has become like na maya mili na Ram. (it’s a lose-lose situation for us).”
Rajasthan Finance Commission Chairman Arun Chaturvedi, a former Rajasthan BJP president, defended the government’s position. “The BJP government laid the foundation for the court’s decision. The government formed the SIT, and the SOG arrested the culprits. Since the investigation wasn’t complete, it was right not to cancel the exam.
“The Congress did nothing but protect the corrupt and leak the paper to help the corrupt. Now, they’re shedding crocodile tears. Kirodi Lal Meena, who raised the issue, is part of the BJP. The government will decide on this matter now.”
A BJP source said after this “loss of face”, the government may not file appeals but encourage others to approach the division bench for a review.
Congress spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi said, “The government has lost its face. It insisted the exam will not be cancelled. They constituted the SIT, now the court has cancelled the exam, despite that, the minister said they will review it. Is the government above court?”
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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