Delhi BJP Protests Against AAP, Demands Punjab Education Minister's Resignation Over 'Paper Leaks' | WATCH

The Delhi BJP on Thursday staged a protest at the AAP office near Mandi House in Delhi, demanding the resignation of the Punjab education minister over alleged exam paper leaks in the state. The protesters, led by Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra, gathered near AAP headquarters at Ferozshah Road and demanded the resignation of Education minister Harjot Singh Bains and other ministers, alleging six exam paper leaks under the four-and-a-half-year-old government in the state.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal recently claimed that no paper leaks happened in Punjab in the past years under the party government. He, however, said that some students in an exam at two centres tried to use digital pens for cheating but were immediately caught and the paper was not leaked.

The BJP protesters, including several party MPs, MLAs and state office bearers, alleged that papers of six exams were leaked, impacting the future of 30 lakh students in the state.

The AAP had supported the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest held at Jantar Mantar, which led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak.

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, in his recent statement, countered allegations over the Pharmacy Recruitment Exam scandal.

Bains said, "The case was of mass cheating, not paper leak. The cheating was caught on the spot and the guilty students were apprehended."

He rejected the demands for his resignation, and claimed that opposition leaders were "misrepresenting facts." Speaking on the controversy, he said, "I stood with the students throughout. I even appealed to the students that if my resignation would help the movement, I am ready to quit."

He asserted that he was the only sitting Education Minister to attend the CJP protests, and said that he and his ministry dealt with the crisis in swift fashion.

"The cheating case was not even part of my department. It was my colleague's responsibility. However, I am not running away from the blame."

Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan marked the "first victory" for the country's youth, but asserted that the demand for accountability must now extend to Punjab.