# Fresh Paper Leak Row Erupts in Punjab as BJP and Congress Demand Education Minister's Resignation

> Political tensions have flared up in Punjab following a cheating incident during a pharmacy officer recruitment exam. While the opposition BJP and Congress are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Bains himself have strongly defended the administration and denied any paper leak.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Politics · **Published:** 2026-07-27 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/politics/punjab-men-pharmacy-pariksha-para-siyasata-teja-bjp-aura-congress-ne-ki-education-minister-ke-istiphe-ki-manga-10769 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Punjab paper leak, Harjot Singh Bains, Bhagwant Mann, Amit Malviya, Pharmacy exam, AAP government, Punjab politics

The controversy surrounding examination leaks has surfaced once again, flaring up just hours after the conclusion of the CJP protests. This time, the political smoke is rising directly from Punjab, where the Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government. BJP leaders are accusing the administration of double standards and demanding the immediate resignation of Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains over allegations of a paper leak. Adding to the pressure, actor Shweta Tiwari shared a video by Abhijit Dipke, publicly questioning when the Punjab education minister would step down from his post.

This fresh political storm in Punjab has erupted at a sensitive time, closely following the massive protests at Jantar Mantar over the NEET examination leak. That high-profile agitation had ultimately forced Union Education Minister Dharmendra Prasad to resign from his position. Seizing on this precedent, the BJP is aggressively questioning the AAP leadership. Party leaders are asking why the accountability principle should apply to a central minister while the Punjab education minister refuses to accept responsibility for irregularities in his own state.

The root of the current dispute lies in a written examination conducted on July 17 by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Punjab for recruiting pharmacy officers. During the test, a cheating incident was detected at Baba Farid University of Health Sciences located in Faridkot. According to University Registrar Dr. Arvind, candidates were caught cheating using Bluetooth-enabled devices. The malpractice was initially flagged by the university's flying squad. Based on subsequent intelligence inputs, authorities detained 28 additional suspects and arrested 7 masterminds accused of operating the cheating syndicate. However, opposition parties insist that this was not merely localized cheating but a full-scale paper leak, making the resignation of Education Minister Harjot Bains imperative.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police maintains that its counter-intelligence wing busted an interstate cheating racket through a joint operation. According to police findings, the syndicate facilitated cheating using high-tech equipment, recovering 27 battery-operated wireless devices from the suspects. Investigators revealed that the network had charged candidates anywhere between 3.5 lakh rupees and 13 lakh rupees to guarantee a passing score.

## Official Defense from Harjot Singh Bains and Bhagwant Mann
Addressing the escalating demands for his resignation, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains asserted that not a single paper leak has occurred during the four-year tenure of the current state government. He clarified that the pharmacy examination incident was a case of cheating inside the hall rather than an actual leak of the question paper. Bains added that although the department does not fall under his direct purview, he remains fully prepared to step down if his resignation can genuinely improve the administrative system. He dismissed the entire controversy as a deliberate attempt to defame Punjab.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stepped forward to defend his cabinet colleague against the opposition barrage. Responding to the mounting pressure, Mann claimed that zero examination papers have leaked throughout his government's four-and-a-half-year term in office. According to the Chief Minister, official investigations exposed a cheating racket where candidates used Bluetooth devices and digital pens to transmit questions to accomplices stationed outside the examination centers, who then relayed the correct answers back to them.

## Sharp Criticisms from BJP and Congress Leaders
The opposition has intensified its campaign with pointed questions and heavy political rhetoric. BJP IT cell head Amit Malवीय took to the social media platform X to demand a clear answer regarding why Harjot Singh Bains continues to hold office. He argued that if ministerial accountability is established as a standard, it cannot be selectively applied only when convenient. Malवीय further taunted AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, suggesting that if he truly considers education reformer Sonam Wangchuk to be the ultimate solution for India's educational woes, he should appoint Wangchuk as Punjab's education minister to set an example. National BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also joined the attack, asking whether the Punjab education minister retained any sense of shame.

The opposition offensive extended to the Punjab Congress, with state party chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also demanding the education minister's resignation. Warring criticized the ruling party for aggressively protesting paper leaks in other states while maintaining total silence on incidents happening within Punjab. He challenged Bhagwant Mann to explain how the pharmacy exam paper was compromised, emphasizing that the future of thousands of young students and their families hangs in the balance. Pointing to recurring paper leak allegations, the Congress leader insisted that accountability must be firmly established.

## What this means for you
**Across India:** Recurring allegations of examination irregularities and paper leaks create widespread anxiety and uncertainty for job aspirants and students nationwide.

**In Punjab:** The pharmacy exam controversy raises serious questions regarding the transparency and administrative oversight of state recruitment processes, directly impacting local candidates.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Which examination recently triggered a controversy in Punjab?
The controversy was sparked by a written examination conducted by the Department of Health and Family Welfare for recruiting pharmacy officers in Punjab.

### 2. What kind of malpractice was detected during the pharmacy exam?
Authorities caught candidates cheating using Bluetooth and other high-tech electronic devices at Baba Farid University in Faridkot.

### 3. Which Punjab minister is facing resignation demands from the opposition?
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains is facing demands for his resignation from opposition parties including the BJP and Congress.

### 4. What is the stand of the government and the education minister on this issue?
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann maintained that the incident was a localized cheating case rather than a paper leak, asserting that no papers have leaked during their tenure.

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