Naidu backs Minister Narayana over SSC paper leak

Vijayawada:Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu backed Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana over SSC paper leak issue even as Opposition leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy insisted on CBI enquiry to ascertain facts. The Opposition did not accept the Chief Minister offer of judicial inquiry over the issue.

Making a statement on paper leak issue in the House on Thursday, Chief Minister expressed doubts that the SSC paper may be leaked as part of planned sting operation by the Sakshi media (owned by Jaganmohan Reddy). “Jagan says his reporter who shared leaked paper to Nellore DEO through WhatsApp should be treated as a whistleblower. But the reporter did not hand over his mobile phone to police for enquiry” he noted.

HIGHLIGTS:

• Express doubt over likelihood of a sting operation by Sakshi media
• Declares in no uncertain terms that the exam will not be cancelled
• Jagan alleges that the government is projecting paper leak as malpractice to protect Ministers

He also said a water boy photographed the question paper at 9:25 am on March 25 and Sakshi reporter shared it to DEO by 10:25 am. “What is the link between water boy and Sakshi reporter and whether the reporter is a whistleblower or he did sting operation have to be ascertained” Naidu averred.

Stating the alleged sting operation was ‘evil act’, the Chief Minister said the examination (SSC General Science paper-1) would not be cancelled as it was not paper leak but just malpractice. “I will not spare anyone who responsible for this episode, be it minister Narayana, or Sakshi management,” he declared.

Reacting this, Opposition leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy alleged that Chief Minister was projecting the SSC paper leak issue as malpractice to protect his Minister Narayana. He also said a case was registered over the incident on March 28 after YSR Congress raised the issue in Assembly even as the leak was exposed to public on March 25 and DEO sent report on March 26. Jagan alleged that the Chief Minister was purportedly misleading the House by projecting the person, Praveen, who photographed examination paper, was a water boy.

“In fact, he is warden and store in-charge of Narayana educational institute” he said.“The state government must react on my challenge to order CBI enquiry into the paper leak issue, if it has guts. We will extend our absolute cooperation to the enquiry” Jagan challenged amid silence from treasury benches.

He also demanded to cancel the examination and also license of Narayana institutes. He alleged that the SSC paper had been shared through WhatsApp to the examination centers, where students of Narayana educational institutes were attending for examinations. “Telugu paper was leaked in Madakasira in which involved an employee of Narayana School and Hindi paper was leaked in Kadiri of Anantapur district” he said.