On Wednesday, 5 April, Telangana Police arrested Bharatiya Janata Party's State President Bandi Sanjay Kumar in connection with a Class X examination question paper leak.
The SSC (Secondary School Certificate) question paper for Hindi examination had allegedly leaked on Tuesday, 4 April, just minutes after the examination commenced. A day earlier, on 3 April, SSC question paper for Telugu examination had also allegedly leaked.
How Is Sanjay Kumar Connected with SSC?
Sanjay Kumar was first detained in connection with the second alleged paper leak, because the accused in the case – an invigilator at an examination centre – was allegedly found to have been in contact with him. The ruling party of Telangana – Bharat Rashtra Samithi – had accused the BJP president of being linked to the leak, before Telangana Police detained him at Karimnagar. Photographs of the prime accused and Kumar were also circulating on social media when the arrest took place.
"BJP is trying to create anarchy in Telangana. The BJP's involvement is clear with regard to the leak of question papers of SSC examination...The question paper leak is evidence for the fact that the BJP has started its deviant politics in Telangana too."BRS Leader and Telangana Minister G Jagadish Reddy
BRS MLA P Sudarshan Reddy, meanwhile, claimed that the leaked question paper (of Hindi examination) reached the Whatsapp inbox of Sanjay Kumar. "Why did the accused who leaked the question paper send its copy to Bandi Sanjay's Whatsapp?" he asked in a statement issued on Wednesday.
After he was detained at midnight, Kumar was later taken to an Wardhannapet Police Station in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri. His arrested was not recorded till Wednesday.
Around 5 lakh candidates appear for SSC examination in Telangana each year.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the BRS government of carrying out a politically motivated arrest. Kumar, who often criticises the BRS, had recently asked Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to publish his Post Graduation certificate. The jibe was part of a long line of mudslinging between the BRS and the BJP, over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualification.
BJP workers staged protests at Wardhannapet Police Station and other parts of Telangana demanding Kumar's release. Meanwhile, Telangana Police has reportedly detained several BJP leaders to prevent escalation of protests.
BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh has condemned the arrest and predicted BRS' rout in the upcoming Assembly election. He tweeted, "Rattled, riddled with corruption charges, faving electoralreverses BRS and its leadership is a sinking boat. They have touched a raw nerve by arresting BJP Telangana President Bandi Sanjay. This will be the last nail on their political existence."
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)