YS Jagan, YSRCP Demand Lokesh's Resignation, CBI Probe into Alleged AP DSC Irregularities

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has intensified its attack on the Andhra Pradesh government over the alleged irregularities in the District Selection Committee (DSC) teacher recruitment process, demanding a CBI investigation, political accountability, and the immediate resignation of Education Minister Nara Lokesh.

In a post on X, YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the DSC recruitment examinations, taken by nearly 3.5 lakh unemployed candidates, were marred by serious irregularities that had undermined the credibility of the selection process. He said Lokesh should accept moral responsibility for the alleged lapses and resign from his ministerial post.

Jagan drew a comparison with the recent NEET question paper leak controversy, stating that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned after accepting moral responsibility, setting what he described as a new benchmark for political accountability under the NDA government. He questioned whether Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would uphold the same standards in Andhra Pradesh or attempt to protect his son, Nara Lokesh, despite the allegations surrounding the DSC recruitment process.

Echoing the party's stand, YSRCP spokesperson Konda Rajeev Gandhi, addressing the media in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, called for an independent CBI probe into the alleged irregularities. He alleged that the controversy had shattered the confidence of lakhs of unemployed youth aspiring for government teaching jobs and argued that only an impartial investigation could restore public trust in the recruitment system.

Rajeev Gandhi claimed that the Union government had responded to the NEET controversy by accepting political responsibility and initiating corrective measures, including the constitution of fast-track courts to expedite investigations. He questioned why the Andhra Pradesh government was not adopting a similar approach despite what he termed serious allegations in the DSC recruitment process.

The YSRCP leader further alleged that Chandrababu Naidu was attempting to shield Nara Lokesh instead of ensuring a transparent inquiry. He claimed that Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSRCP had already placed evidence and videos related to the alleged irregularities in the public domain, but the government was attempting to suppress the issue rather than respond to the allegations. He demanded that the state immediately transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and that Lokesh resign to ensure a fair and transparent investigation.

Former MP Talari Rangaiah also alleged that irregularities had occurred at multiple stages of the recruitment process, including question paper preparation, the alleged leak, and the selection process. He reiterated the demand that Lokesh step down pending an independent investigation.

Responding through a post on X, Nara Lokesh rejected Jagan's demand for his resignation. Without directly addressing the allegations, he said some political leaders were preaching moral responsibility despite what he described as their own contradictory political record, and dismissed the criticism against him.

The TDP-led NDA government has not yet issued a detailed response to the YSRCP's demand for a CBI investigation into the alleged DSC recruitment irregularities.