Arunachal: 90 organisations hold massive rally against APPSC paper leakage scam

As many as 90 organisations, parents, and students are holding a mass rally in one of Arunachal's biggest rallies ever to protest the APPSC (Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission) paper leak scam.

Notably, the rally has been led by the All Nyishi Students Union (ANSU) along with the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) took out a joint mass referendum rally from the Dera Natung Government College to IG Park in protest against the ongoing Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) examination paper leakage scam.

Earlier, Speaking to reporters, ANSU Vice President Rahim Yangfo said that the unions believe that the corrupt practices within the Commission are not new and the recent arrests of candidates and officials by the Special Investigation Cell have confirmed it. 

In their set of demands, the Union demanded the state government to declare entire exams where question paper was leaked as null and void.

ANSU has also demanded the immediate arrest of the chairman, secretary, members, and all the officials of the Commission; ED and Court-monitored probe, immediate dismissal and termination of state government officials involved, and no examination date to be declared by the Commission until the investigation process is completed, and new SOP for the examination to be prepared with the participation of at least two aspirants.

They have also demanded the state government to recruit Mudang Yabyang, a PwD candidate for the post of lecturer at Polytechnic College and reward Gyamar Padang with the post of Assistant Engineer (Civil) for being the whistleblower of the APPSC exam paper leak. 

Other demands include the three-member IAS committee report on AE (Civil) paper leakage to be made public, recall of three state government officials posted under APPSC and compensation to all the aggrieved candidates with an amount of Rs.5 lakhs each to be ensured. 

In a letter written to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, All Nyishi Students Union this is not the first time scam like APPSC has happened in Arunachal Pradesh  but such corrupt practices and anomalies is being reported every now and then in the APPSC. They said that the official involved the infamous 2014 paper leaked scam gone unpunished.

“Again, in the year 2017, the state had gone through scandalous episodes when the aspirants on protest against the malpractices in the APPSC were beaten up badly, stripped off, manhandled and tortured by the paramilitary forces instead of redressing the grievances. Ultimately, the helpless aspirants were made to loss the legal battle on the basis of misleading and manufactured SOP of the APPSC.”, the letter stated.
 
“Merit of the case was undermined by your so called Zero Tolerance Government. And the saddest part is that neither your government nor the authorities of the APPSC tried to redress the issues properly, left the official free hand by making mere excuses. Because of which rampant and open selling of Question Paper was reported this year.”, the letter said. 

In the letter the Union said that there is no doubt that BJP government tried to act against the official involved in the scam but it is not up to the expectation and that the Union is writing this letter for immediate action against the culprits. 

The Special Investigation Cell of Arunachal Pradesh Police investigating the APPSC paper leak scam have arrested one person involved in the scam on December 2. 25 persons have been arrested so far in the case.