While youths protesting against an alleged leak of the question paper of the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC) test for government jobs called off their stir until October 10 on Monday – the eighth day of their protest – after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami promised to fulfil their demand for a CBI probe, the Opposition Congress has kept the heat on the BJP government.
The Congress has continued to question the functioning of institutions like the UKSSSC and Uttarakhand Public Services Commission (UKPSC), which oversee job recruitment tests. In an interview with The Indian Express, state Congress stalwart and ex-CM Harish Rawat speaks about various burning issues ranging from the paper leak row to the Congress’s plans for the 2027 Assembly polls. Excerpts:
* The Uttarakhand paper leak has stirred a major controversy. How does the Congress view the row?
Our slogan is paper chor, gaddi chhor. A paper leak, like vote chori, is a way of playing with the lives of youths. Similar to how the names of many voters are being deleted and manipulated, the paper chori also impacts people’s lives. We will stand with those who protest against it. Breaking the confidence of the people, whether through vote deletions or exam rigging, must be opposed. If even a single word from a question paper comes out, it is a leak. If three pages are circulating on social media, how can anyone deny it? Even the law – The Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Measures for Control and Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2023 – the CM brought against cheating in recruitment exams criminalises such activities.
It is the responsibility of the Commission and the government to conduct exams in a way that inspires confidence. The Commission is entrusted with a massive responsibility, and since 2017 it has failed to fulfil its duty or restore trust.
* The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) has been quick to align itself with the youth protesters. How do you view this development?
The UKD will naturally try to capitalise on this because they are a political party. If the BJP falters, all of us in the political arena will question them. But the reality is that Uttarakhand has consistently voted for the two national parties. It is not enough to have a party, you need personnel on the ground to run the political system. I appeal to everyone to unite against the BJP. I am not calling for an alliance at this stage, but if they are serious about challenging the BJP, they should consult us. If the government is failing, we must challenge it together. If talks go well, we can explore working together in the future.
* Some protesters point out that the Congress, too, has faced paper leak allegations in states like Rajasthan, and are sceptical of the party’s support to them.
When we were in government, not once did the name of a Congress member or worker surface in such cases. I won’t claim crimes never happen, but our people were never involved. In Uttarakhand, however, paper leaks have occurred three times, and each time people linked to the BJP have been accused. In Rajasthan, we handled the issue carefully and worked to restore people’s confidence.
Moreover, we have a long list of issues to raise against the BJP, and our politics is not limited to this one incident. The way the BJP has tampered with recruitment exams is a serious matter, and we will focus on fixing it by making the system time-bound and foolproof. This will certainly feature in our vision document going forward.
* The Dhami government has often dismissed various protests as “jihad”. However, student protesters have rejected the labelling of their stir as ‘nakal jihad’. What is your take?
I would ask CM Dhami to simply search on Google what the word jihad actually means. If you misuse the word to describe crimes, you are glorifying criminals. Jihad has a literal meaning, and using it to mean something else won’t change that. In Uttarakhand, whether the people understand the meaning or not, the world knows what it means. The CM should check before using the word, or risk being laughed at.
* Youth leaders at the forefront of anti-paper leak stir like Bobby Panwar are emerging as new faces of dissent. Are you concerned about them cutting into Congress’s share of anti-incumbency votes?
They need a vast political machinery to sustain their movements. We have seen many such movements that lose energy over time, and often their leaders eventually join the mainstream parties. We hope these youth leaders join us for the larger cause of ousting the BJP government.
* You have been summoned by the CBI again in connection with the 2016 sting video case (allegedly pertaining to a deal to save his then government amid some Congress MLAs’ revolt). What is your response?
As long as I am alive, physically and politically, I will keep receiving such notices. They always arrive as elections approach. For me, this is recognition that the BJP considers me an opponent. It is not a problem. In fact, I was anticipating these notices to come right on time.