Chandigarh, November 5
BJP National Headquarters In-Charge and Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the serious irregularities alleged in the Punjab PCS Mains Examination 2026 results, holding him directly accountable for playing with the future of Punjab’s youth. Chugh has written to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria demanding an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), an immediate halt to the selection process and the preservation of all relevant records and evidence until the investigation is completed.
Chugh said that the government of Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal, which promised government jobs without money or recommendations, is now facing serious questions over the credibility of Punjab’s most prestigious recruitment examinations. The very Chief Minister who came to power promising employment to the youth has presided over repeated allegations of paper leaks, recruitment fraud and irregularities in selection procedures. Bhagwant Mann must answer how long the youth of Punjab will continue to suffer this injustice.Chugh said that the results of the Punjab PCS Mains Examination, declared late on November 4, have sent shockwaves across Punjab. Candidates have alleged that roll numbers of individuals who did not even appear for the examination have figured in the list of successful candidates. Serious questions have also been raised over 24.21 per cent of shortlisted candidates reportedly coming from a single examination centre, 86 candidates being shortlisted in clusters of three or four consecutive roll numbers, and individual examination rooms reportedly producing 10 to 11 shortlisted candidates. Questions have further been raised over the shortlisting of only 751 candidates against 331 advertised vacancies, despite the requirement being raised for calling three times the number of candidates for interviews. Is this merely a coincidence, or was there a special arrangement to favour selected candidates right from roll number allocation and examination centre allotment to the final results? The Bhagwant Mann government must answer these questions.
Chugh said that the Mann government has pushed merit and hard work into the background while creating serious apprehensions of favouritism and alleged manipulation in Punjab’s recruitment system. Young aspirants work day and night for years, while their families invest their land, savings and hopes in their education. Yet, when results are declared, they are confronted with allegations that even candidates who did not appear for the examination have been selected. This is not merely an administrative failure; it is a direct attack on the trust of Punjab’s youth.
Chugh said that the PPSC controversy is not an isolated incident. The PSSSB Group-B recruitment examination faced serious questions over 22 candidates from Bathinda figuring among the top 100, alleged family connections between certain candidates and suspicious entries in the merit list. The Pharmacy Officer recruitment examination was also rocked by allegations of a high-tech cheating racket involving pen cameras, Bluetooth devices and electronic communication. Arrests were made, and the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the selection process for 454 posts while seeking the State government’s response on why the investigation should not be transferred to the CBI. The Naib Tehsildar recruitment examination, Agriculture Development Officer examination, PSEB English examination and other recruitment processes have also faced repeated controversies. How many more recruitment scandals and paper-leak allegations will it take for Bhagwant Mann to accept responsibility?
Chugh said that Bhagwant Mann, who demanded resignations from other governments over every examination controversy while in the Opposition, is now maintaining silence over the repeated questions being raised in his own state. The Chief Minister must explain why no senior political functionary has accepted moral responsibility despite successive controversies surrounding recruitment examinations under his government. Does the future of Punjab’s youth mean nothing to this government? Has the Chief Minister’s responsibility been reduced to holding press conferences and declaring his government honest?
Chugh asserted that an investigation by the Punjab Police or agencies under the control of the State government would not be sufficient, as serious questions have been raised about the functioning of the government and its administrative machinery. He demanded that all PPSC answer sheets, attendance registers, CCTV footage, digital logs, roll number allocation records, examination centre details and evaluation documents be immediately secured. The interview process must remain suspended until the investigation is completed. Previous controversies involving PSSSB, Pharmacy Officer recruitment, Naib Tehsildar recruitment and other examinations must also be independently investigated. Demanding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s immediate resignation, Chugh said that after such a serious betrayal of Punjab’s youth, the Chief Minister cannot continue to evade responsibility. Bhagwant Mann must place the future of Punjab’s youth above his chair. The Aam Aadmi Party government promised employment, but today young aspirants have lost confidence in their own state’s recruitment system.
Chugh said that Punjab’s youth deserve justice, not empty slogans. The BJP stands firmly with every aspirant whose hard work and merit may have been compromised. The entire matter must be investigated by the CBI, those found guilty must be sent to prison, and Bhagwant Mann must immediately resign, accepting responsibility towards the youth of Punjab.
