Opposition parties and student bodies on Monday staged protests across Assam after the question paper of Class 10 general science for the state board examination was leaked, reported PTI.

The Secondary Education Board Assam examination for the subject has been cancelled after the news of paper leak emerged.

The Crime Investigation Department of Assam Police has been ordered to investigate the matter, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said, reported PTI.

Following the leak, protestors burnt the effigies of the education minister and the chairperson of the Secondary Education Board Assam.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties also questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state Assembly on the matter. Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia issued an adjournment motion to discuss the paper leak but it was denied by Speaker Biswajit Daimary, reported PTI.

“There was an allegation on March 5 also that the English paper of Class 10 exam was leaked,” Saikia said, reported PTI. “But the education minister charged the media for the news. If precautions were taken then, a paper wouldn’t have leaked today.”

He added: “CBSE [Central Board of Secondary Education], ICSE [Indian Certificate of Secondary Education] boards conduct their Class 10 examinations throughout the country. Why can’t SEBA [the state board] conduct the exam efficiently in just one state? Is there any conspiracy to shut Assamese medium schools by discrediting the SEBA [Secondary Education Board Assam]?”

Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi demanded resignation of the education minister in the state Assembly, reported NE Now.

Members of the All Assam Students’ Union also sought an immediate arrest of Secondary Education Board Assam’s controller of examination, Nayan Jyoti Sharma.

“This incident once again proves that SEBA is inefficient,” general secretary of the student body Sankarjyoti Baruah told PTI. “There is a need to reconstruct the board. We also want a CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] inquiry to get to the root of the matter.”

Members of Students’ Federation of India and Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti also staged separate protests outside the Secondary Education Board Assam office.

The cancelled exam for Class 10 general science subject has been rescheduled to take place on March 30, Pegu tweeted on Monday.