Jaipur: Rajasthan cabinet minister Kirori Lal Meena has written to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the REET-2021 paper leak case, which is currently under investigation by the state’s Special Operations Group (SOG).In his letter to Shah, Meena has implicated former chief minister Ashok Gehlot in the case, as well as former education minister Govind Singh Dotasra, other senior Congress members, and office-bearers of the NGO Rajiv Gandhi Study Circle (RGSC).The 11-page letter, dated July 25 and made public Tuesday, has sparked unease within the BJP, with several members privately questioning why the cabinet minister chose to seek Central intervention when the SOG was already investigating the case.Meena’s move assumes added significance because the state home department, under which the SOG functions, is headed by none other than Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. Party insiders said the letter could send out a message that Meena lacks confidence in his own govt’s investigation.“The letter raises questions about the functioning of the entire govt, and such actions only hurt the party’s image. If he (Meena) had concerns, he should have raised them within the govt instead of releasing the letter to the media,” said a senior BJP member who requested anonymity.“That, more than anything else, shows his intent,” he added.In the letter, Meena described the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) 2021 paper leak as “one of the biggest scams” during the tenure of the previous Congress govt and urged the ED to probe the alleged money trail behind it.More specifically, he sought a detailed investigation into financial transactions involving the RGSC, which he claimed functioned as a Congress-backed organisation.Meena further alleged that the question paper for the REET-2021 exam was prepared under the supervision of the then Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) chairman D P Jaroli, and leaked before the examination through former RPSC member Batti Lal Meena.He also sought a probe into several other aspects of the leak, including the alleged role of former education minister Dotasra, the selection of the paper setter and other administrative decisions linked to the examination.Meena urged Shah to direct the ED to investigate the alleged conspiracy, trace the money trail and initiate action against all public servants and private individuals found involved.
