Jaipur, Jan 26 || Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday questioned Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma over his recent statement on alleged OMR sheet tampering, saying that such remarks could affect the smooth and impartial investigation being conducted by the Special Operations Group (SOG).
Ashok Gehlot said that when an investigation is still underway, it is inappropriate for the Chief Minister to make statements that appear to pre-judge its outcome.
He asked on what basis CM Sharma claimed that the irregularities were confined to a particular period, despite the SOG indicating that OMR sheet tampering had been taking place for nearly 11 years.
The former Chief Minister argued that if the accused were holding the same positions across different governments, it would be illogical to restrict the investigation to only one tenure.
He further questioned whether publicly giving a clean chit to the current government could place undue pressure on Investigating Officers and influence the scope of the probe.
"SOG findings must be taken seriously. Political statements by those in power could weaken the credibility of the probe and create doubts in the minds of the public, especially among the youth," he added.