YS Jagan Press Conference Highlights
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in the state’s District Selection Committee (DSC) teacher recruitment process.
Speaking at a media conference at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, Jagan accused the state government of failing to provide satisfactory answers to several questions surrounding the recruitment examination. He also called for the resignation of Education Minister Nara Lokesh, alleging that serious lapses occurred under his watch.
Jagan Questions DSC Exam Process
Jagan alleged that the system used for preparing the DSC question paper and conducting the examination lacked adequate checks and balances.
According to him, the responsibility for preparing examination papers rests with SCERT, while the DSC Convener is responsible for conducting the examination. He questioned the decision to place both key responsibilities under the control of the same individual.
Jagan argued that separating these functions is important for maintaining transparency and preventing conflicts of interest. He claimed that even Lokesh had acknowledged in the Assembly that both responsibilities were handled by the same official.
The YSRCP chief said an investigation should determine why the two responsibilities were combined and whether this arrangement contributed to the alleged irregularities.
Questions Over Candidate’s Rank
Jagan also raised questions about the case of a candidate named Naveen, who reportedly appeared in an initial merit list with the first rank but was not subsequently given a job.
He questioned why Naveen's name was missing during certificate verification and why the candidate's name was allegedly absent from a subsequent verification list as well.
Jagan said the circumstances surrounding the candidate's exclusion require clarification and should form part of an independent investigation.
Opposition Seeks Discussion In Legislative Council
The former Chief Minister claimed that YSRCP MLCs had disrupted proceedings in the Legislative Council for several days seeking a discussion on the alleged DSC paper leak and recruitment irregularities.
He alleged that the government was unwilling to hold a detailed debate on the issue because doing so could expose lapses in the recruitment process.
Jagan said the allegations were serious enough to warrant a CBI probe and reiterated that Lokesh should accept responsibility and step down as Education Minister.
Dispute Over Sports Quota Appointments
Jagan also criticised the government's decision to appoint candidates under the sports quota without requiring them to take the DSC examination.
He alleged that government orders were issued to facilitate appointments for 372 candidates, but were later withdrawn. Jagan questioned how such orders could have been issued and subsequently cancelled, and whether the minister had approved them.
He further alleged that audio and video recordings related to the controversy had emerged.
Jagan Criticises PV Sindhu Comparison
A major part of Jagan's criticism focused on the government's reference to badminton player PV Sindhu while defending sports quota appointments.
Jagan pointed out that Sindhu has won major international honours, including an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Rio Games and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, apart from achievements at world championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
He questioned whether the beneficiaries of the 372 sports quota appointments had comparable sporting achievements. According to Jagan, invoking Sindhu's name to justify the recruitment decisions was inappropriate.
He also cited the case of an ST candidate, Durga Rao, who had reportedly won a national archery championship. Jagan alleged that despite receiving a call letter, Rao was not ultimately given the appointment.
Calls For Lokesh's Resignation
Jagan stepped up his demand for Lokesh's resignation, arguing that the Education Minister should take responsibility for the alleged problems surrounding the DSC recruitment process.
He also compared the situation with the political response to alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, asking why different standards were being applied.
Jagan further alleged that complaints relating to the DSC recruitment process were ignored by the authorities.
Jagan Defends Previous Government's Recruitment Record
The YSRCP president also rejected allegations concerning recruitment conducted during his government's tenure.
He claimed that no question paper leak occurred in the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission examinations conducted under the previous administration.
Jagan concluded by reiterating his demand for an independent CBI investigation into the DSC allegations and urged the government to provide clear answers regarding the recruitment process, sports quota appointments and the decisions behind the government orders.
The allegations made by Jagan are political claims, and the government’s response and findings from any independent investigation would be necessary to establish the facts.
