MPPEB scam: Bharati refuses to comment on Cong's allegations

Ujjain (MP), Feb 17: The senior BJP leader Uma Bharati on Tuesday refused to comment on Congress's allegation that there was an attempt to magnify her role by investigating agencies in connection with the Madhya Pradesh recruitment scam.

"I will not speak on the issue. I am going to clear the air by issuing a press statement over the issue," Bharati said here on asked about her name being dragged into the scam.

Asked when she will issue the statement, Uma, who came to pay obeisance to the famous deity of Mahakal, said that it will be released shortly.

Congress had yesterday attacked Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the issue of MP Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam alleging that the original excel sheet seized from a computer was tampered to shield him and his family.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh alleged that there was an attempt to magnify Bharati's role by the agencies probing the scam.

Senior Congress leaders, including Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Suresh Pachouri, PCC President Arun Yadav and Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Satyadev Katare had in a joint press conference demanded a CBI probe into the scam and Chouhan's resignation.

They claimed that though Uma's name figured 10 times in the original excel sheet, it was magnified to 17 in the fudged excel sheet submitted by the Special Task Force (STF), which is probing the PEB scam, to the trial court.

However, state Law and Legislative Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra had termed the allegations as "baseless and untrue" and an attempt to "tarnish" the image of Chouhan after suffering a string of defeats in successive elections.

Chouhan and Bharati are seen as rivals in Madhya Pradesh BJP politics.

Uma had led the party to a spectacular win in the 2003 state Assembly polls after which she became the Chief Minister. But, she had to resign following an arrest warrant issued against her by a Karnataka court.

The MPPEB scam was unearthed in July 2013 by Indore Police by arresting "Munnabhais" (scorers) who appeared for original candidates in the Pre-Medical Test (PMT) examination conducted by the Board.

Later, the government handed over the case to STF for detailed investigations.

PTI