New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 — A BJP delegation led by Kerala party president and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday approached President Droupadi Murmu seeking the removal of Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman M.R. Baiju and its members over alleged recruitment “irregularities”, “corruption” and “nepotism”.
The delegation urged her to act on the recommendation reportedly sent by former Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar and initiate proceedings under Article 317 of the Constitution.
The delegation said the allegations against the Commission were serious and had already come under the scrutiny of a Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Kerala High Court.
It sought a reference to the Supreme Court for an inquiry into the conduct of the chairman and members.
The delegation also included Rajya Sabha members C. Sadanandan and P.T. Usha, who pointed out the July 13, 2023 examination for senior posts in the Kerala State Planning Board as a major instance of alleged manipulation.
According to the letter, 10 questions carrying 58 marks were left unevaluated in the answer scripts of all 228 candidates, allegedly benefiting the candidate who secured the first rank.
They also pointed out that the SIT had received 180 complaints relating to PSC examinations and identified nine examinations for further investigation.
The BJP leaders alleged that political patronage, favouritism and backdoor appointments had seriously damaged the credibility of the constitutional body.
They pointed out that lakhs of job aspirants were waiting for government appointments while allegations of irregularities continued to surface.
It also questioned the substantial salaries and benefits paid to PSC members.
Under Article 317, the President can refer allegations against PSC members to the Supreme Court for an inquiry.
The President can remove a member if the Court reports that the member ought to be removed.
Incidentally, the new Governor Om Prakash Mathur has also followed up on his predecessor’s letter.
The BJP delegation visit comes at a time when the SIT formed to probe the Planning Board appointments has arrested one PSC official and another retired official, besides questioning the chairman, and the questioning of the remaining 15 members is going on.