Job Applicants Protesting Alleged Graft in Selection Process Lathi-Charged in UP

The Uttar Pradesh police baton-charged protesting job aspirants right outside the UP Assembly in Lucknow on Friday, leaving several of them badly injured, including women. Most of aspirants were applicants for posts of 68,500 of assistant teachers in primary schools and were protesting against the Adityanath-led BJP government's alleged corruption in the selection process. 

Several protesters were injured during the police lathi-charge, which the police claimed was to stop them from moving further. Pictures and videos of injured and profusely bleeding applicants, many of them women, went viral on social media platforms.

On Thursday, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court ordered Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the entire process of selection initiated for the recruitment of 68,500 assistant teachers posts in primary schools after the Adityanath government submitted that it was not ready for the CBI probe despite its three-member inquiry committee coming under question for sitting over evidence of corruption. 

Speaking with Newsclick, Samajwadi Party spokesperson, Abdul Hafiz Gandhi,while condemning the lathi-charge, said, "This is a textbook case of corruption. The rules were changed one week before the exam. Copies were changed, burnt and bar-coding on copies was interfered with. The officer entrusted with the smooth conduct of exam was made the inquiry committee member. All this indicates larger attempts by the BJP-led government to scuttle the truth of recruitment processt Now court has ordered a CBI inquiry, which the government has opposed.”

Setback for Adityanath Govt

The Adityanath government announced recruitment 68,500 teachers in primary schools through the Assistant Teachers Recruitment Examination, 2018 for which 1, 25,746  people applied. It was said to be the “first major recruitment” by the state's basic education department after the BJP government came into power in UP. The petitioners had made serious allegations related to this year's exam, including the charge that answer books were switched and also raised several questions about the entire selection process. 

The Lucknow bench of the court directed the CBI to complete the probe within six months and submit a progress report to it on November 26. Issuing directions on a bunch of writ petitions, Justice Irshad Ali directed that the officers who were part of the 2018 selection process should cooperate in the investigation and make available all the necessary documents required by the CBI.

Justice Ali said the court was prima facie satisfied that there was material evidence to establish that the examination authorities misused their power to give undue advantage to the candidates of their choice.

In the other case, the same bench found that the 12,460 assistant teachers were selected without following the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education (Teachers) Service Rules, 1981.

(With inputs from agencies)