Bundi (Rajasthan) [India], August 28 (ANI): The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday cancelled the 2021 Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment process following allegations of widespread paper leaks and collusion.

The verdict has sparked sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who have accused the state government of misleading the youth and failing to act in a timely manner.

The hearing was conducted by Justice Sameer Jain, who had reserved the verdict on August 14 after hearing arguments from all concerned parties. Petitions demanding the cancellation of the recruitment were filed on August 13, 2024.

During the hearings, the state government clarified that it did not intend to cancel the recruitment at that stage, a stance also supported by the selected candidates who opposed the move.

Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Tika Ram Jully, hit out at the BJP-led state government, alleging that it failed to deliver on its promises.

'The government was unable to make a decision, made false promises to the youth, made big allegations against the Congress, kept talking about catching big crocodiles, but nothing came of it. You should ask this government why it makes false promises to the youth?...' Jully said.

Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara also criticised the state government, calling the court's decision 'a slap on the face' of the administration.

'This is a slap on the face for the state government. For more than two years, this government, which has been divided, was unable to make any decisions... The Chief Minister of Rajasthan was not able to use his discretion because when he was made the Chief Minister, the condition was that he would not use his discretion and would only talk as per the directions from Delhi...' Dotasara stated.

The recruitment process had been marred by allegations of paper leaks that were widely circulated on social media and messaging platforms, prompting petitions and public protests. (ANI)