Congress leader says ED action in decade-old recruitment case raises questions over timing, while youth unemployment, paper leaks and recruitment irregularities remain key concerns
SIRSA | PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
Sirsa MP, former Union minister, Congress general secretary and CWC member Kumari Selja has accused the BJP of using central investigative agencies for political purposes ahead of the Uttarakhand Assembly elections, alleging that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action is aimed at diverting public attention from unemployment, paper leaks and alleged irregularities in recruitment processes.
Selja said the BJP was apprehensive of a possible electoral setback in Uttarakhand and was therefore attempting to shift the political discourse away from issues directly affecting the state’s youth. She alleged that instead of answering questions about employment opportunities, recruitment transparency and examination irregularities, the ruling party was relying on investigative action to create a different political narrative.
Questions over timing of ED action
According to Selja, the ED’s recent action in connection with the 2016 Village Panchayat Development Officer recruitment examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission relates to allegations whose investigation had already begun during the tenure of the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat. She said the probe was initiated after a complaint came to light and that its scope was subsequently expanded as the matter progressed.
Selja stressed that the Congress was not opposed to an impartial and transparent investigation into allegations of wrongdoing. However, she questioned the timing of the ED’s intervention, pointing out that nearly a decade had passed since the examination-related allegations first emerged. She said the sudden activation of a central agency immediately before an election raised questions about the timing and possible political motivation behind the action.
The ED has confirmed searches at premises linked to former officials and other persons associated with the case, while the investigation remains underway. The agency’s action is part of the ongoing probe, and the allegations under investigation have yet to be conclusively established through the legal process.
‘Students Ki Goonj’ puts youth issues in focus
Selja said Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Students Ki Goonj’ campaign had brought issues such as paper leaks, unemployment, recruitment irregularities and weaknesses in the education system into sharper public focus.
She said the campaign was intended to create a direct channel of communication with students and young people and document their experiences relating to competitive examinations, education, recruitment and employment. According to her, issues such as paper leaks, recruitment irregularities, unemployment and shortcomings in the education system have caused growing anxiety among young people across the country.
Selja alleged that when the government was asked to provide answers on employment and transparent recruitment, the BJP chose not to directly address those concerns and instead allowed the political discourse to be redirected towards investigative agencies. She said this approach could not erase the problems being faced by students and job seekers preparing for competitive examinations.
Her remarks come in the broader context of youth concerns in Uttarakhand, where Congress has repeatedly sought to place employment and recruitment at the centre of the political debate. The issue has also featured in earlier youth-focused Congress programmes in the state, including a student gathering in Dehradun.
Key youth issues highlighted by Selja
- Unemployment: concern over limited secure employment opportunities for young people.
- Recruitment: demand for transparent and timely government recruitment.
- Paper leaks: stronger safeguards in competitive examinations.
- Job security: concern over contractual work, outsourcing and low wages.
Employment promise remains a key issue
The Congress leader also criticised what she described as the government’s record on employment generation. She said the BJP had come to power after promising to create two crore jobs every year. If that commitment had been fulfilled in the manner promised, she argued, crores of young people would have secured employment over the subsequent 12 years and the impact would have reached families across the country.
Instead, Selja claimed, a large number of sanctioned posts remain vacant in both central and state government departments. She alleged that regular recruitment has increasingly been replaced by contractual employment, outsourcing and temporary appointments, leaving many young workers with limited job security and inadequate wages.
She said thousands of young people were working for salaries ranging from around ₹9,000 to ₹22,000 a month and had spent years hoping that their experience and service would eventually lead to regularisation. According to Selja, many of these workers have neither received employment security nor what she termed a respectable salary despite continuing to perform essential duties.
She described the situation as particularly troubling because young people invest some of the most productive years of their lives in education, competitive examination preparation and employment, often under considerable financial and social pressure. She alleged that the absence of secure employment opportunities was contributing to growing frustration among students and young workers.
Congress promises focus on permanent jobs and transparent recruitment
Selja said the concerns of the youth could not be addressed merely through political statements or temporary employment arrangements. She argued that the government needed to ensure transparent recruitment procedures, timely completion of selection processes and adequate employment opportunities so that candidates did not have to repeatedly prepare for examinations because of administrative failures or alleged irregularities.
She said Congress was committed to seeking permanent employment opportunities, transparent recruitment systems, protection against paper leaks and a secure future for young people. She added that Rahul Gandhi was engaging directly with students, young people and aspirants preparing for competitive examinations and taking their concerns to the national political platform.
Selja appealed to students and young people in Uttarakhand to participate in the ‘Students Ki Goonj’ campaign and share their experiences, difficulties and concerns related to education, recruitment and employment. She said the voices of young people should be heard directly rather than being overshadowed by political controversies.
Uttarakhand voters to judge government on youth issues
Selja further alleged that the BJP’s actions reflected growing concern over the response of young voters. She said the electorate, particularly students and job seekers, was capable of understanding the difference between addressing genuine public concerns and attempting to divert attention through political controversies.
She maintained that the Congress would continue to raise issues concerning unemployment, recruitment transparency, education and the rights of young people. Selja said the upcoming Uttarakhand election would provide voters an opportunity to assess the performance of the government on these issues.
She expressed confidence that the people of Uttarakhand would respond democratically to what she described as the BJP government’s “corrupt, anti-youth and anti-people” policies. Her remarks came amid heightened political activity surrounding the state’s electoral landscape, with employment, recruitment examinations and the functioning of government institutions expected to remain important issues for young voters.
POD/DESK
