The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister has triggered a fresh political battle in Punjab, with the BJP turning its attention towards alleged irregularities in state-level examinations and demanding that Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains step down.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari questioned why Bains had not resigned and asked when AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal would seek accountability from the Punjab Education Minister.

The BJP leader alleged that several examinations conducted in the state had been marred by paper leaks or other irregularities. Among the examinations cited were the Punjab School Education Board's Class 12 English examination, the Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET) and the Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) recruitment test.

Bhandari also raised allegations concerning recruitment processes handled by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB), including Group-B and Combined recruitment examinations. He further claimed that large-scale cheating had taken place during the Naib Tehsildar and Pharmacy Officer recruitment tests and alleged discrepancies involving names on the Excise and Taxation Inspection merit list.

The Congress has also joined the criticism of the Punjab government. State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring claimed that six significant paper leak incidents had occurred in the state over the past four years. He questioned why Bains had not been held accountable and said students whose careers had been affected by examination controversies deserved answers.

The Aam Aadmi Party, however, has rejected the Opposition's allegations, describing them as misinformation.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann categorically denied that any examination paper had been leaked in Punjab during the past four-and-a-half years. He acknowledged that attempts to cheat had been detected at two locations but maintained that the incidents did not involve the leakage of question papers.

Mann said authorities responded swiftly to the reported cheating attempts and took action against those allegedly involved. He also assured students that his government would continue to ensure the security of examinations in the state.

AAP leader Baltej Pannu similarly dismissed the accusations made by the BJP and Congress. According to him, candidates had been caught using electronic devices during one of the incidents and action was subsequently taken against them. He maintained that the examination paper itself had not been compromised.

Pannu accused the BJP and Congress of deliberately portraying cheating incidents as paper leaks to shift public attention away from issues associated with their own periods in power. He also alleged that numerous examination papers had been leaked during the BJP-led government at the Centre.

The latest political confrontation in Punjab follows the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister, which came after weeks of protests in the national capital over the NEET paper leak controversy.

Following Pradhan's departure, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was assigned responsibility for the Education Ministry.

The controversy has now become a wider political debate over accountability, examination security and the protection of students' interests, with the BJP and Congress pressing the Punjab government for answers while the AAP maintains that no paper leak took place under its administration.