Punjab BJP chief Kewal Dhillon says PCS Mains result rigged, seeks CBI probe

Chandigarh. Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Thursday alleged large-scale rigging in the Punjab Civil Services (PCS) Mains result and demanded a CBI probe monitored by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He also asked that interviews for shortlisted candidates be stopped until the inquiry is over.

Dhillon called the result declared by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) a “massive scam” that had put the future of thousands of deserving aspirants at risk.

His main charge is about where the successful candidates sat the exam. According to Dhillon, 10 to 11 candidates who cleared the exam came from a single examination room, while 24.21 per cent of all successful candidates were from one examination centre.

“It defies all statistical probability and administrative logic that 10 to 11 candidates from a single examination room, and as much as 24.21% of total successful candidates from a single examination centre, have cleared this premier competitive examination,” he said.

Dhillon also claimed that roll numbers of candidates who were reportedly absent from the exam have appeared in the list of qualified candidates.

Taking aim at the AAP government, he said, “This brazen rigging completely shatters Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s high-decibel claims of transparent governance and merit-driven recruitment.”

The BJP leader placed three demands before the state government and the PPSC:

– Stay on results and interviews: The selection process and the upcoming interviews should be put on hold until an independent probe is completed.

– CBI probe under HC watch: A court-monitored CBI inquiry should find out how roll number series came to be clustered and whether evaluation rules were broken.

– Forensic audit: CCTV footage from exam centres, invigilators’ attendance registers, seating charts and original answer sheets should be examined forensically.

Dhillon said aspirants had waited 22 months for the result, only to be handed what he called an “orchestrated process”. He described it as a cruel betrayal of Punjab’s educated youth.

He said the BJP stands with the aggrieved candidates and will not allow the state government to play with merit and transparency.

The PPSC held the PCS Mains from April 1 to 10 this year. Qualified candidates are to appear for interviews next.