Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Bhopal, July 20
Days after he lodged a complaint with the CBI against senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Vikram Verma, Vyapam scam whistleblower and government doctor Anand Rai has been transferred from Indore to Dhar district.
Rai had lodged a complaint with the CBI alleging that Verma, using his influence and power, had got his daughter, pursuing MBBS in Santosh Medical College at Ghaziabad, transferred to Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal.
Rai, who was on deputation at the Health Department’s training institute in Indore, was transferred yesterday.
His wife Gouri, who is also a government doctor, too was transferred from civil hospital at Mhow in Indore to Ujjain district hospital last month.
However, unfazed by the transfer, Dr Rai today said that he is going to move the court to challenge his transfer.
“I am being hounded for lodging a complaint against Verma on July 17 and exposing the Vyapam scam. People involved in the wrongdoings were running the state,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, another Vyapam scam whistleblower Ashish Chaturvedi said he along with his colleagues will write a letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking that the transfers of Rai and his wife be revoked.
“If the government doesn’t do so, we are going to protest,” Chaturvedi said.
The whistleblowers in MP are being hounded, he alleged.
“We won’t sit quiet against the corrupt government.
President’s Rule should be imposed in Madhya Pradesh to replace Governor Ram Naresh Yadav and Chief Minister Chouhan, who are also allegedly involved in the Vyapam scam and holding highest posts in the state,” he said.
The CBI has registered at least 12 cases so far, following Supreme Court’s direction, to probe the scam.
Massive irregularities in various professional examinations and government job tests conducted by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board or ‘Vyapam’ have been unearthed.
The scam allegedly involves several state government officials, former ministers and politicians.
At least, 55 cases have been registered by the MP police and 2,000 accused have been arrested, police said.
The Opposition Congress has alleged that at least 49 people associated with the scam have so far died under “mysterious” circumstances.
House adjourned as Oppn tries to condole deaths in Vyapam scam
The opening day of Madhya Pradesh Assembly’s monsoon session was today adjourned for the day as Opposition members tried to pay respect to TV journalist Akshay Singh and MBBS student Namrata Damor, who died under mysterious circumstances after the Vyapam scam was exposed.
As the House assembled for the first day of the 12-day long session, Speaker Dr Sitasharan Sharma administered oath to newly elected BJP MLA from Garoth seat Chander Singh Sisodia.
Later, the Speaker mentioned about the demise of former members of the House and eminent persons, including Lok Sabha MP Dileep Singh Bhuria, former Union Minister Sheila Kaul, former MP Gufran-e-Azam, noted architect Charles Correa and ex-IAS officer M N Buch, and paid tributes to them.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also recalled their contribution in social and political spheres and paid them rich tributes.
Leader of Opposition Satyadev Katare too paid them homage and in continuation also mentioned about the death of Akshay Singh and Namrata Damor and tried to express condolence on their demise.
However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra raised the Point of Order and said if a member wants to raise any issue in the House besides those mentioned in the list of business, he has to seek prior permission of the Speaker.
At this point, the other Opposition members also raised the issue of deaths of all other persons who died after the scam came to light and termed them as “Vyapam Shaheed”. However, the Speaker intervened and called for observing a two-minute silence for those whose names were mentioned in the listed business of the House.
The Speaker then adjourned the House for the day.
Earlier, the House also condoled the death of people in Nepal earthquake.
Normally, when the House takes up the matter to pay condolence to those who passed away between two sessions, besides Speaker, Leader of the House and LoP, other Legislature party leaders too express condolences on behalf of their respective parties, but today the practice was not followed as Opposition raised the issue of deaths related to the Vyapam scam.
