I am no way involved in any wrongdoing: Chouhan on Vyapam scam

Image
Press Trust of India Bhopal
Last Updated : Aug 19 2015 | 1:28 PM IST
Just three months short of completing a decade in office on November 29, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said he has not indulged in any wrongdoing in the Vyapam scam and that he sticks to 'honesty is the best policy' approach in politics.
"I am discharging my duties honestly. I stick to honesty come what may. In democracy, Chief Minister is a servant of people. I follow this core principle religiously," Chouhan told PTI in an interview here.
Chouhan came under fire after the massive irregularities in recruitment in various government departments, especially in the pre-medical examination conducted by MP Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), commonly known by its Hindi acronym Vyapam, came to light.
The scam took larger proportions after a number of people connected with it, including witnesses and accused, died under suspicious circumstances.
The opposition Congress has been demanding Chouhan's resignation over the scam.
"Right now I am disturbed that MP's reputation has been tarnished nationwide and globally over the Vyapam scam by the Congress for selfish political motives," Chouhan said.
"I am confident that truth will prevail once the CBI inquiry into the scam is over," he said.
To a poser, Chouhan said in the ten years since becoming Chief Minister on November 29, 2005, he has tried to bring transparency in admission and recruitments done by Vyapam.
Earlier, recruitments were done on the basis of paper chits sent by those in power during the Congress regime as a result of which talented young people were left out. In many departments, recruitments were carried out in an unfair manner, he said.
"In order to check this menace and purge the system, recruitment procedures were made transparent under Vyapam," he said.
Vyapam has carried out tests of 1.7 crore aspirants for jobs in government services and admission to medical courses and among them 3.54 lakh candidates were selected since 2007, he said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 19 2015 | 1:28 PM IST

Next Story