South Carolina to hear Digvijaya’s plea on Vyapam on July 9

Singh had earlier alleged complicity of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam, also called the Vyapam scam. “The Congress party still maintains its original stand that the issue needs a Supreme Court-monitored enquiry”, said Jyotiraditya Scindia, senior spokesperson of the Congress, adding that Chouhan should step down until the probe is over.

Welcoming the announcement of CBI probe by Mr Chouhan, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, when asked if the setting up of CBI inquiry was a victory for the Congress, said, “It should not been seen in terms of victory and defeat”.

The deaths are a matter of concern, but law and order is state subject.

Until now, the chief minister had maintained that the CBI need not be brought into the picture as the Madhya Pradesh High Court was monitoring the SIT probe and there was no way his government could influence the investigation.

Singh, who has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe in the scam, said he would request the apex court to monitor the probe on a weekly basis as it monitored the 2G scam.

More than 40 people associated with the admission and recruitment racket in Vyapam have died since 2013 – either in mysterious circumstances or have committed suicide.

NEW DELHI The deaths of a number of witnesses in a massive fraud case surrounding cheating at college and government jobs has become the latest source of discomfort for India’s ruling party, already on the defensive over influence trafficking allegations. “We don’t act under pressure”, he said. Congress rejects it in toto.

“Asking the PM to answer on each silly issue is not fair”, said Gowda. “The concerned ministers and party president (Amit Shah) have answered”.

“The silence on Vyapam, the silence on various other issues connected with the External Affairs Minister and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan are all indicative of the manner in which they treat the media and public opinion”, he added.

Gowda, however, later said he had referred to the Lalit Modi controversy and not the Vyapam scandal.