SSC candidates protest, seek DoPT Minister's ouster

Thousands of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) candidates on Saturday held a demonstration here in protest against the "SSC paper leak scam" and demanded resignation of Minister of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Jitendra Singh for not ordering a CBI probe into all SSC examinations.

The SCC candidates gathered at Parliament Street at 11 a.m seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged paper leak in the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination held in February.

The body of SSC candidates leading the agitation, Yuva Halla Bol, said: "We have been demanding an independent and time-bound CBI investigation into all SSC examinations. Even after over a month of protest, the government has not agreed to our genuine demands. The inaction and insensitivity clearly proves that this government is anti youth."

"If the government can't listen to the genuine demands of protesting candidates, the Minister of DoPT should resign. We shall continue this movement with energy and resolve until our demands are met," the committee said in a statement.

As the protesters started moving towards Parliament, they were stopped. But, when they broke the barricades, the police applied mild force to disperse them.

"Dozens of SSC examinees, who were peacefully marching towards Sansad Bhawan, suffered injuries in the baton charge by police and were manhandled," it said.

"We condemn the role of some anti-social elements who tried to hijack and mislead genuine angst and plight of the students. Groups with vested political interests, who were never part of the SSC movement, tried to disrupt Yuva Halla Bol with their indisciplined and irresponsible behaviour," Swaraj India Delhi's chief Anupam, who has been involved with the protests from beginning, told IANS.

The organising committee of students did not endorse or support the actions of such elements, Anupam added.

The protesters said that they would go up to the Supreme Court to bring the culprits of the SSC scam to justice and ensure reforms in the functioning of the Commission.

Subsequently, the protesters gathered at Connaught Place and held rallies in the area, surrounded by police and Rapid Action Force personnel. The police later detained some of them.

--IANS

vn-sp/nir