Army exam paper leak: Congress asks Parrikar to wake up and act

The Congress in Goa on Monday asked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to "wake up" and act, claiming the Army Recruitment Board exam paper scam took place due to the lack of vigilance within the ministry.

"Parrikar needs to stop sleeping and wake up. This is a big scam which has happened on his watch and it was exposed by the police and not by the army," Congress spokesperson Aleixo Reginaldo told a press conference at the state legislative assembly complex.

Eighteen persons were arrested across Maharashtra and Goa in a series of raids conducted by the Crime Branch of the Thane police on Sunday morning for involvement in the Army Recruitment Board examination paper leak case.

Over 350 students, who appeared for the exam in multiple centres across both the states were also detained.

Reginaldo said that the Defence Ministry was proving to be a weak performer in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

"The exam paper leak shows how poorly the Defence Ministry is performing. Do we deserve a sleeping Defence Minister?" Reginaldo asked, while hinting at a recent controversy when Parrikar was snapped allegedly sleeping during the Prime Minister's address in Parliament.

--IANS

maya/lok/bg