CM Saini targets Punjab Govt over alleged paper leak, defends Centre’s anti-leak law

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday targeted the Punjab government over the alleged paper leak issue, accusing it of jeopardising the future of the state's youth.

“The paper leak has not only compromised the future of students but has also left aspirants feeling humiliated and betrayed. The AAP government has failed to protect students' interests,” Saini said while interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of the 77th State-level Van Mahotsav at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya University of Health Sciences in Kutail.

Referring to an earlier statement by AAP leader Manish Sisodia, Saini said Sisodia had once promised that if a paper leak occurred under an AAP government, the Education Minister would be the first to resign.

“Today, everyone is silent. A paper leak has taken place in Punjab, yet neither the AAP nor the Congress is speaking on the issue,” he said.

Defending the Union government's handling of examination-related irregularities, Saini said the Narendra Modi-led government enacted a stringent anti-paper leak law in 2024, unlike previous governments, which, he claimed, only discussed the issue without legislating on it.

He said the law provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rs 10 crore for those involved in exam-related fraud.

Saini added that while the issue of paper leaks had been discussed in Parliament during the Congress regime in 1986, no legislation was enacted at the time.

Commenting on the language allegedly used against the Prime Minister during a recent student protest in Delhi, Saini termed the remarks “unfortunate” and questioned the values being imparted to the youth.

“The remarks used during the protest were so inappropriate that even the parents of those who uttered them would not be able to hear them. What kind of values does the Congress party want to impart to the country's youth?” he asked.

He also criticised Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks against the Prime Minister and his demand for an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Saini alleged that Gandhi was making baseless allegations instead of raising substantive issues and said the Congress' 55 years in power should be compared with the Modi government's 12-year tenure. He also accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of practising double standards.

Expressing confidence that the BJP would form the next government in Punjab, Saini said the AAP government had failed to fulfil its promises.

“Punjab will witness faster development and better governance under a BJP-led government like Haryana,” he added.

Earlier, addressing the gathering at the Van Mahotsav, Saini reiterated the state's commitment to environmental conservation. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign, he urged people to actively participate in tree plantation drives. He also described the recently flagged-off hydrogen-powered train as a major step towards clean and sustainable transport.

Accompanied by Haryana Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan, Forest and Wildlife Minister Rao Narbir Singh, local MLAs and senior officials, Saini said while medical science protects human health, trees safeguard the health of the planet. 

He announced large-scale plantation drives on panchayat and public land, a scheme to encourage farmers to conserve rare and endangered tree species, and the development of 44 hectares of dense forests using the Miyawaki method.

The Chief Minister said Haryana planted over 1.52 crore saplings during 2025-26, established 58 herbal parks, and continues to expand green cover through the Panchvati initiative, 610 Van Mitras and the Pran Vayu Devta Yojana.