YSRCP State coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy demanded Education Minister Nara Lokesh's resignation and a Central agency probe into alleged DSC irregularities.
Tadepalli: The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Monday reiterated its demand for the resignation of Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh, alleging that fresh evidence was emerging regarding irregularities in the District Selection Committee (DSC) teacher recruitment process.
Speaking to the media at Tadepalli, YSRCP State coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy alleged that the State government's response to the allegations had weakened as new claims were being raised. He said the Minister should resign instead of asking officials to issue rejoinders.
Mr. Sajjala alleged that the recruitment process had been conducted in a manner that gave rise to allegations of teacher posts being offered for money. He claimed that the government's defence was becoming increasingly difficult as more allegations surfaced.
Mr. Sajjala said the allegations surrounding the DSC recruitment directly involved the Education Minister and that he could not avoid responsibility.
“If there is a scam, someone should take responsibility,” he said, while questioning whether a fair inquiry could be expected without an investigation by a Central agency.
He demanded that Mr. Lokesh respond directly to the allegations and questioned why the Minister had not addressed the issues raised by the YSRCP in the Legislative Council.
The YSRCP leader alleged that irregularities were particularly evident in appointments made under the sports quota.
He claimed that some candidates with participation certificates had secured appointments while certain gold medal winners had not been selected. He also referred to the issuance and subsequent cancellation of government orders relating to the recruitment process, alleging that the sequence raised questions over the government's handling of the appointments.
These allegations have been disputed by the ruling coalition, which has defended the DSC recruitment process and maintained that appointments were made in accordance with the prescribed rules.
Mr. Sajjala also alleged that there had been a leak of examination papers and claimed that a candidate who topped the examination had access to the question bank.
He further alleged that the candidate's name was subsequently removed from the merit list after the issue came to light.
The YSRCP leader sought an independent investigation into the allegations and maintained that a Central agency should examine the recruitment process.
Mr. Sajjala also accused the coalition government of attempting to suppress media organisations and social media accounts that had reported on the alleged DSC irregularities.
He alleged that social media handles were being blocked to prevent the issue from receiving wider public attention.
Mr. Sajjala said Mr. Lokesh had made several statements defending the recruitment process but had not directly answered the questions raised by the opposition.
He alleged that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was attempting to shield his son from the controversy and questioned why officials, rather than the Education Minister, were appearing before the media to respond to the allegations.
The YSRCP State coordinator reiterated the party's demand for Mr. Lokesh's resignation and called for a Central agency inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the DSC recruitment process.
The allegations raised by the YSRCP remain disputed by the State government and the ruling coalition.
