Union Minister Uma Bharti on Monday night said she is ‘scared’ by the number of deaths associated with the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh and said there is ‘panic’ in the state due to these deaths.
"There is panic in Madhya Pradesh due to the deaths. I am scared for the lives of people connected to me. I am a minister but still I am scared. I will convey my fears to CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan," Bharti, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, was quoted as having told India Today TV.
The Congress has claimed there have been 45 deaths in connection with the admission and recruitment scam since it broke out two years back.
The water resources minister also said she was the first person to have suggested a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the scandal.
"I was named in the first information report as per an accused's version. This is unfair. I am shocked that my name has been dragged into this. I was the first to suggest a CBI probe," she said.
Bharti also said she saw a "very deep conspiracy" in her name cropping up in the Vyapam scam and said people are succumbing to "shame and fear" caused by the scandal and that nobody was killing them.
"It is a very deep conspiracy. The biggest example of the deep conspiracy is that my name is in it. Because I am no way having to do anything with this. If I am there, then something very seriously is being conspired," Bharti told PTI.
Bharti also stressed that people were dying out of shame and fear and none were killing them. "May be nobody is killing them. But the fear and shame of the innocent people is causing brain haemorrhage, heart attack or suicide. Because when I heard my name in Vyapam, even I have gone through lot of trauma," she claimed.
Noting that nobody can drag her into the controversy, Bharti backed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and sought to find a way out for taking the fear out of people.
"Nobody could drag me ultimately. They all were silenced. But, I am feeling sorry for the people of state and I am feeling sorry for Shivraj Singh Chouhan. I have full faith in the special task force. I have full respect for the special investigation team. I have full respect for the Madhya Pradesh high court. We have won the elections under Shivraj Singh Chouhan. We won 27 out of 29 seats. But because of the fear created in the state, he (Chouhan) must find way out to put the state at ease," the former chief minister said.
According to her, the name of a person, who was residing at her staff quarters has figured in the FIR wherein the accused person was not aware that his marks were being tampered with in the examination.
She claimed that the person had her address and his marks were "increased in the exam".
"Even he was not aware of it. He used to do puja in the houses of people, who were working in Vyapam. So, they did him a favour, but he did not pass the examination," Bharti said.
She further alleged that the information about the FIR had reached the media before it could go to the court "His name was in my address because he was living in my servant quarters. So, they have registered an FIR without giving me any information... And before the FIR could go to the court, (it) was sent to the media," she alleged.
