Lucknow: A question in the Uttar Pradesh Police Sub-Inspector Recruitment Examination held on Saturday has triggered a controversy, leading to objections from within the BJP.In Hindi language section, question number 20 asked candidates to select one-word answer for the phrase, ‘avsar ke anusar badal jaane wala’ (one who changes according to opportunity). The options were ‘nishkapat’ (innocent), ‘sadachari’ (virtuous), ‘pandit’ (a learned person, also used for Brahmins), and ‘avsarvadi’ (opportunist).Taking exception to the question, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said that such a content was “unacceptable”.In a post on X, Pathak said: “The state govt has taken the issue seriously. Objections have been raised on the question and any content hurting the dignity of any caste, community, or social group is unacceptable.”“Instructions have been issued for an immediate probe into how the question was framed and approved. An inquiry will be conducted, and action will be taken against those found responsible,” he said.BJP MLA from Badlapur in Jaunpur district, Ramesh Chandra Mishra, wrote to chief minister Yogi Adityanath objecting to the controversial question.“The question, asking for a synonym for ‘opportunistic’ with ‘Pandit’ as one of the options is objectionable. It has hurt the sentiments of the intellectual (‘bauddhik’) community,” Mishra said. He argued that the term ‘Pandit’ traditionally denotes a scholar or a learned person and linking it with opportunism was inappropriate.The MLA demanded a departmental inquiry against the committee that finalized the paper and urged the authorities to reject the question and ensure greater sensitivity while framing questions in future.Uttar Pradesh BJP secretary Abhijat Mishra also wrote to the CM, saying that the question was insensitive and incorrectly framed. “The term ‘Pandit’ is associated with knowledge and religious respect. Linking it with opportunism is inappropriate, insensitive and may have been done deliberately,” Mishra claimed.
