MPPEB scam: ABVP leader points finger at Digvijaya Singh

An ABVP leader on Sunday tried to turn the heat of MPPEB's PMT scam on Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh by alleging that one of the main accused was appointed by Singh in his capacity as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister in 1995.

"Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam's originator is Nitin Mohindra, who was appointed by Singh in 1995 in the MPPEB and who later gave him out-of-turn promotion in 1998," Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad national general secretary Vishnu Datt Sharma alleged at a press conference in Bhopal and also circulated a statement on the issue. "In 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 also PMT scam took place in the state whose originator was Mohindra, but Singh had overlooked it," Sharma further alleged.

He demanded that it (irregularities during these mentioned years) should also be probed by the STF. Sharma also demanded an apology from Singh for dragging his name into the scam through a letter-petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, failing which he said he will file a defamation suit against the senior Congress leader.

He alleged that in view of a number of legal experts representing Singh in various cases and also Mohindra and others accused in the MPPEB scam, a conspiracy was hatched by them to derail the STF investigations with an aim to save Mohindra and others in the scam.

At the time of his arrest, Mohindra was posted as Chief System Analyst in the MPPEB along with Examination Controller Pankaj Trivedi. Both of them are in jail under judicial custody in the matter. The High Court will hear the letter-petition filed by Singh on Monday.

The Congress general secretary has already demanded a CBI probe into the scam, even during the period of his tenure as Chief Minister.

However, Sharma said there was no need for a CBI probe into the scam as the High Court was monitoring it and the probing agency was doing its job properly.

Sharma also alleged that "since he had written a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee to sack state Governor Ram Naresh Yadav for his former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Dhanraj Yadav's involvement in the scam, Singh, who is close to the Governor, had targeted him".