Not Shivraj Singh Chouhan, but some state officials involved in Vyapam scam, says Babulal Gaur

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Babulal Gaur on Wednesday defended his Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the high profile Vyapam scam saying that he has no direct involvement in the case.

"Some of the officials in the state are behind the scam. There is no direct involvement of Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the scam but moral responsibility is with the Chief Minister as well as the party."

At least 48 people have died in the multi-crore scam in the last few years. Succumbing under political pressure, Chouhan also wrote to the Jabalpur Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court for a Central Bureau of investigation into the controversial scam.

Chouhan has also requested the Supreme Court for a CBI into the scam

"I think that the Chief Minister took the decision for the CBI probe at the correct time," said Gaur.

Rejecting demand for Chouhan's resignation and claiming that the Chief Minister enjoys the support of the party, Gaur said, "Chouhan will always remain my leader. MP BJP unit is 100 per cent behind Chouhan. There is no question of Chouhan quitting as the Chief Minister."

When asked whether the Bharatiya Janata Party's image has been dented because of the scam, Gaur said, "It is wrong to say that BJP's image has taken a hit due to Vyapam scam."

The Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh has become a major political controversy with numerous witnesses and accused dying under mysterious circumstances. The Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam relates to irregularities in admission in state-run medical colleges and recruitment in government jobs.

Alleged financial and administrative irregularities, including unauthorised disposal of application forms, worth crores of rupees by the MPPEB have been pointed out in an audit report.

The audit, which was conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Local Fund Audit office for 2007-08, found a difference of about Rs 4 crore in revenue earned from sales of application forms by the MPPEB or 'Vyapam'. The MPPEB conducts entrance and recruitment tests for admission in medical and engineering courses, and selection in certain government services, among others.

It has been alleged that the corrupt officials at the board took money to compromise the examination and recruitment for several professional courses. These courses include pre-engineering, pre-medical, MCA, teaching etc.