NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday demanded a judicial probe by a Supreme Court judge into all recruitments made by the Uttar Pradesh education department.
Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said the Uttar Pradesh government is silent and demanded immediate action.
The Congress leader was referring to both the Allahabad High Court staying the appointment of 69,000 assistant basic teachers in the state, and the case involving a school teacher, who allegedly worked simultaneously in 25 schools and earned over Rs 1 crore as salary in 13 months.
He said a judicial probe would help bring out the truth as a probe by the Special Task force, as proposed by the UP government, would not suffice as it is under the control of the state government.
"The Congress party demands that a judicial inquiry should be conducted in this matter immediately by a Supreme Court judge," he told reporters at an online press conference.
He alleged that the state government is unable to do anything and it seems the "mafia" operating in Uttar Pradesh is ruling in the state.
The former union minister said a "scam" of this proportion is not possible without the involvement of state officials and alleged that the government is protecting such officials.
Shukla said when the BJP claims total transparency, why it is shying away from holding a judicial probe into the matter for the truth to come out.
"The truth will come out only when a judicial probe is ordered into the matter," he said.
Shukla said now the government has accepted that a scam is there, what is the next step the state government is taking, he asked.
He said when the state Education Minister is acknowledging that there has been a scam, salary has been withdrawn, then what action is the government taking on this.
One Anamika Shukla was arrested on Saturday when she had gone to the office of Kasganj Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Anjali Agarwal to tender her resignation fearing arrest after her fraud was reported in the media.
The Congress leader said it seems that the scam is much bigger and many fake appointments have been made and needs to be investigated thoroughly.
Shukla said another Anamika Shukla has turned up now who is claiming that her name and certificates have been misused and she stands defamed.
"Anamika Shukla should also be compensated as she has been unnecessarily defamed in the scam,"he also demanded.
"The government should apologise for the defamation and give her a government job and provide protection to her family.
We are making this demand through you.
Apart from this, the victim Anamika Shukla, whose name has been defamed, should be given a job," the former union minister demanded.