UPPSC paper leak: Yogi govt jails ex-prez of Allahabad students union 

The Yogi government’s excesses on students and movements continue unabated. Now, Richa Singh, former president of Allahabad Students Union, has been arrested. She was demonstrating against the paper leak in the PCS (Provisional Civil Services) examination with the rest of the students on June 19, and she was arrested with seven to eight people. According to the news received a few hours ago, all others were released, but Richa has been put in jail.

Responding sharply to Richa’s arrest, social activist Shabnam Hashmi said this is a shameful act by the Yogi government with an objective to suppress all voices of dissent. Instead of taking responsibility for the paper leak in the PSC examination and resolving the problem of the students, this type of oppression of the students themselves is a completely undemocratic step.

AISA (All India Students Association) leader Sunil, in Allahabad, said that for nearly a month, the students have been agitating and demanding that the date for the Mains examination be postponed further. But neither the Commission paid any attention, nor the government did anything and the PCS examination started on June 18.

On June 19, the examination authorities gave wrong question paper to students by mistake. The authorities distributed the essay question paper in the first session whereas it was supposed to be given in the afternoon session. This flared up the students and they demonstrated against this mismanagement. Many people along with Richa Singh staged a dharna. Although the examination was cancelled, the government was not willing to hear them out. In this charged atmosphere, a bus was set on fire and many were arrested.

Richa Singh was jailed while the others were released. It is significant to mention that many office bearers of Allahabad students’ union along with its president Avnish Yadav are under arrest in other matters.

After Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University, Allahabad University has once again been targeted by the state government.