Left parties today termed as "unprecedented" the number of deaths in the Vyapam scam in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and demanded Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe into the matter.
After a meeting, leaders of the Left parties said that the myth of a corruption-free government by the BJP-led NDA dispensation has been completely shattered with the alleged recent scams at the Centre as well as in states including Madhya Pradesh.
"We express our special concern over the crime and corruption, as we have seen in Vyapam case in Madhya Pradesh. It is unprecedented that there have been claims of deaths of over 47 people associated with the case under mysterious circumstances.
"There are journalists who are reporting on the issue have also died including nine of the important witnesses of the scam. So, we think there should be a thorough enquiry which needs to be done, a CBI enquiry under supervision of SC," Yechury told reporters.
He said such an enquiry was required because the present situation is resulting after state-level probe.
"Peoples' protest will now be mounted so that action is taken and justice is delivered," Yechury said.
CPI national secretary D Raja seconded Yechury and said that viscera or post-mortem reports of the journalists who died while covering the scam be sent to institution of reputed "outside Madhya Pradesh".
"Thorough investigation must be made. And we express our complete solidarity with the journalist because they are doing their job. And media is one of the pillars of our democracy," he said.
The Left Front, which includes CPI(ML)-Liberation, All India Forward Bloc, SUCI(C) and RSP besides CPI(M) and CPI, also issued a statement in this regard later saying the deaths have been "mysterious".
