Haryana CM Saini accuses Congress, AAP of failing youth on paper leaks
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday, 28 July launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing both parties of having compromised the future of young job aspirants through systemic paper leaks and governance failures. Saini made the remarks while speaking to the media in Chandigarh.
Paper Leak Law and the Centre's Stand
The Chief Minister defended the Union government's record on examination integrity, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi enacted a dedicated law in 2024 to curb paper leaks and is now working to make it more stringent. 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only enacted a law in 2024 to curb paper leaks but is now working to make it even more stringent so that such incidents can be effectively prevented in the future,' Saini said. He contrasted this with the Congress's record, alleging that even though former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi raised the paper leak issue in the Lok Sabha in 1986, no concrete legislation followed under Congress rule.
AAP's Punjab Pharmacy Paper Leak
Saini trained his sharpest criticism on the AAP government in Punjab, pointing to the recent leak of pharmacy examination papers that has triggered student protests across the state. He recalled that AAP leader Manish Sisodia had, just two days earlier, publicly declared at a press conference that if any paper leak occurred in Punjab, the state's Education Minister would resign. 'Today, when pharmacy examination papers have been leaked in Punjab and students are protesting, Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal remain silent, sitting comfortably in their air-conditioned rooms,' Saini said. He also cited alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Excise Inspectors in Punjab, claiming the state government has taken no action despite the issue being widely known.
Congress's 'Kharchi-Parchi' Legacy, Saini Alleges
On the Congress, Saini alleged that during its tenure in Haryana, youth were systematically denied fair employment through what he described as the 'kharchi-parchi' system — a colloquial reference to alleged bribery and nepotism in government hiring. He argued that paper leaks were rampant under Congress rule, depriving deserving candidates of opportunities.
Haryana's Education and EV Initiatives
Saini challenged AAP's Arvind Kejriwal to jointly release a White Paper with the Punjab Chief Minister, detailing how many underprivileged students in Delhi and Punjab qualified as doctors, engineers, or Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers under AAP governance. By contrast, he said Haryana's 'Mission Buniyad' and 'Mission 100' programmes over the past 11 years have helped government school students crack IITs, IIMs, NITs, and NEET. On a separate note, Saini said the Haryana government has introduced 100 per cent tax exemption on electric vehicles (EVs) priced up to ₹30 lakh and a 50 per cent tax exemption on EVs above that threshold, in line with Prime Minister Modi's appeal for a 20 per cent reduction in diesel consumption. The state is also building out EV charging infrastructure across Haryana.
The remarks signal an intensifying political contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition parties ahead of future electoral cycles, with youth employment and examination integrity emerging as central battlegrounds.