UP Police Recruitment Exam Cancelled: Yogi Warns Of Strict Action Amid Political Backlash; One Accused Arrested

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Saturday made its first arrest in the UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam Paper leak case. Neeraj Yadav, the individual arrested in the case, is said to be a resident of UP’s Ballia. He distributed the exam paper to candidates using WhatsApp. The Yogi Adityanath government in the state has already cancelled the exam saying that a re-exam will be held after six months. Yadav is said to be a former Merchant Navy personnel who also attempted to clear the UP police exam but failed.

The search is underway for the alleged mastermind from Mathutra, a teacher who sent the answer key to Neeraj. According to reports, Neeraj Yadav has been engaged in facilitating paper leaks and aiding cheating in exams for an extended period. He is said to have amassed a huge sum of money by these activities.  

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took to X to inform about the directives for exam cancellation. He also said that those trying to play with the future of youth won't be spared. Yogi further said that injustice done to youth is a national sin. "We have decided that we will adopt the policy of zero tolerance towards those who play with the lives and future of the youth and will deal with those elements strictly and harshly..." he added claiming that the government's action will set example for everyone.

The CM’s statement came after the officials initially denied the leak status; they maintained that the question paper shared on WhatsApp was fake. For the last few days, thousands of examinees who participated in the test have been protesting, urging the cancellation of the exam. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party and Congress had also called for the cancellation of the examination. 

SP president Akhilesh Yadav and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi slammed the state government, characterising the government's decision to annul the police recruitment exam as a victory of the candidates. He further added that this leak has exposed the Bhartiya Janta Party’s intricate deception; he termed it as ‘BJP’s elaborate hoax, adding that the government doesn't want to give jobs.

“The BJP government is taking unemployed youths for a ride in the name of jobs, but the people can now see through this design,” Yadav added.  

Yesterday, Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was present with Party MP Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, also took a shot at the BJP for its careless and corrupt administration. Vadra said that while Congress had proposed a foolproof plan to stop paper leaks, the BJP has failed miserably in this and is playing with the future of the youth.