REET paper leak: Questioning of key accused will make things clear, says Dotasra

JAIPUR: The questioning of the key accused in the state teachers' eligibility exam paper leak case will make things clear and end the BJP’s “drama” over the issue, Rajasthan Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra said on Monday.

The BJP has been demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the recently conducted Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers-2021 (REET) while the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has demanded Dotasra's resignation.

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The alleged mastermind -- Batti Lal Meena -- along with another person Shivdas Meena was arrested in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath along with another person on Sunday by a team of the Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG).

Dotasra, who is also the Rajasthan Congress president, told reporters here, "It is good that the criminal who was most wanted has been caught. Things that are coming out will be investigated and everything will become crystal clear and the BJP's drama will also stop."

Earlier, BJP state unit president Satish Poonia had alleged that Batti Lal Meena is a Congress worker and his photograph with Dotasra was circulating on social media. The state Congress chief had denied the allegations, saying he did not even know Batti Lal Meena.

The Rajasthan government has suspended an RAS and two RPS officers, 13 personnel of the education department and three policemen in the case.

On Wednesday, the Rajasthan High Court issued notices to principal secretary (education), DGP, director of primary education and secretary of the board of secondary education on a petition seeking a CBI probe into charges of question paper leak and other malpractices during the exam held on September 26.

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Reacting to the development, BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena alleged that Batti Lal Meena is just a pawn and the SOG did not have the courage to arrest those who organised and monitored the examination.

"The SOG has arrested Batti Lal, but he is just a pawn in the REET paper leak case. Masterminds are those who are at the helm of organising and monitoring examinations. The SOG doesn't have the courage to lay hands on them. So, without a CBI inquiry, neither will the truth come out nor will the culprits be arrested," he said in a statement.