The Maharashtra legislature erupted in protests on Monday as Opposition legislators demonstrated on the Vidhan Bhavan steps and later walked out of the House, accusing the government of total failure to prevent examination paper leaks, including the recent Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).
Senior leaders, including Nana Patole, alleged that those behind the TET and NEET leaks are linked to the BJP, and demanded a comprehensive investigation into the examination process.
Opposition members raised slogans against the state government over the alleged TET paper leak and its decision to conduct Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations in the online mode.
Led by Congress's Satej Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve and NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad, the opposition legislators demonstrated on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan.
Raising the issue in the House, Congress Legislature Party Leader Vijay Wadettiwar claimed that repeated paper leaks have tarnished the state's image and jeopardised the future of lakhs of students and teachers.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, Wadettiwar demanded suspension of proceedings to discuss the issue of paper leaks.
He questioned the government's failure to conduct examinations in a transparent manner despite lakhs of candidates preparing for them over several years.
The Congress MLA demanded a comprehensive probe into the TET paper leak, including the agencies involved in preparing the question papers, the companies associated with the examination process and the entire network behind the alleged racket.
While three persons have been arrested, their alleged links with individuals in other states point to a larger network that must be exposed, he said.
Referring to the 2018 TET scam, Wadettiwar alleged that one of the accused, Abhishek Sawarikar, was later inducted into the BJP.
He also raised questions about the alleged role of a company named Crystal and claimed the developments had raised serious doubts about the government's handling of the matter.
Demanding a detailed discussion in the assembly, Wadettiwar urged the government to take stringent action against those responsible and announce concrete measures to prevent similar incidents in future.
School education minister Dada Bhuse said the government will make a detailed statement.
Following this, the Opposition staged a walkout after accusing the government of failing to provide a satisfactory reply on the matter and not allowing adequate discussion.
Ahead of the day's proceedings, Opposition legislators staged a protest on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan, raising slogans, making an apparent reference to School Education Minister Dada Bhuse and his Malegaon assembly constituency.
Opposition leaders shouted slogans alleging that while the TET paper was leaked in Bhiwandi, the "money reached Malegaon", in an apparent swipe at Bhuse.
Speaking to reporters, senior Congress leader Nana Patole alleged that those involved in the TET and NEET paper leak cases were linked to the BJP.
"The TET paper leak is the BJP's doing. Even in the NEET paper leak case, those allegedly involved are associated with the party. We want to ask if the NEET and TET examinations are being sabotaged at the cost of students," he said.
Patole claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had no moral right to remain in office in the wake of repeated examination paper leaks.
"The government may not care about TET aspirants, but we want a discussion on the paper leak issue in both Houses of the legislature because we are concerned about the future of students," he added.
