In a startling revelation, Bihar deputy chief minister Vinay Kumar Sinha during a press briefing on Thursday said that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s aide is linked to the alleged paper leaks and malpractices in the NEET-UG row.
While interacting with the media, Sinha claimed that Yadav’s aide Preetam Kumar called an employee of the Bihar Road Construction Department to book a room for a man identified as Sikandar Prasad Yadavendu who spoke about the alleged involvement of a “Mantri Ji’ in the entrance exam row.
As per Sinha’s statement, Yadavendu claimed he recommended the stay of his nephew Anurag Yadav, a NEET aspirant, his mother and other accomplices in Patna at a government bungalow.
“On May 1, Tejashwi Yadav's personal secretary Preetam Kumar called guesthouse worker Pradip Kumar to book a room for Sikander Kumar Yadavendu... On May 4, Pritam Kumar called Pradip Kumar again for booking the room... The word 'mantri' was used for Tejashwi Yadav…," said Sinha.
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Sinha demanded that Tejashwi Yadav should come forward and clarify if Preetam Kumar is still his PS and tell the media who is Sikander Kumar Yadavendu.
"Tejashwi Yadav should clarify if Pritam Kumar is still his PS and he should also clarify who is Sikander Kumar Yadavendu. When Lalu Prasad Yadav was jailed in Ranchi, Sikander Kumar Yadavendu used to be at Lalu's service... He was a JE in the irrigation department... They play with the future of the people. They do scams when they are in power and they try to influence the appointment process…," continued Sinha further.
On Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Sinha's claims, Pradip Kumar in a statement to media said, "Pritam called me and asked me to book a room for Sikander Kumar on May 1 and then again on May 4. I asked for a requisition, on which he said that it would be given by them..."
The protest against allegations of leaked NEET question papers and preferential marking has taken a political turn, especially in Bihar where four men reportedly told police that paper was leaked 24 hours before the exam on May 4.
The four have been identified as NEET candidate Anurag Yadav, his uncle Sikandar Yadavendu, Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand. Anurag Yadav is reported to have said that his uncle had given him the leaked paper which had the same questions as in the exams the next day. Yadavendu has told cops that Kumar and Anand had given him the paper for ₹32 lakh.
The accused’s claims have triggered a war of words between the BJP and the opposition RJD in the state.
Bihar Deputy CM Sinha has claimed that Yadavendu is a relative of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s aide, Pritam Yadav.
After the allegations of leaked question paper, the National Testing Agency, last week, told the Supreme Court that grace marks awarded to 1,563 who took the exam will be cancelled. The central body that conducts competitive entrance tests said that these students can now accept old scores or take a re-test on June 23.
An uproar erupted after a surprisingly high number of candidates scored 100 per cent marks in the NEET examination. Many have filed petitions before the SC seeking redress.
As many as 24 lakh students sat for the NEET exam on May 5.
