The Punjab Police has exposed a Haryana-based inter-state cheating syndicate led by a Bhiwani mastermind that allegedly used sophisticated technology to facilitate cheating in the BFUHS Faridkot pharmacy examination, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Friday, asserting that the operation had exposed Haryana’s organised cheating network and put to rest allegations of a paper leak. Pointing out that the Haryana Government allowed the racket to flourish for years, he said the Bhagwant Mann government would not allow anyone to defame Punjab’s education system, which has transformed from “Udta Punjab” into “Pardha Punjab”.Addressing a press conference at PEDA Complex here, Bains said Punjab’s education system is built on transparency and merit, whereas Haryana had failed to curb organised examination fraud despite the racket operating there for years. “The Haryana Chief Minister is busy setting political agendas in other states, but has no time to protect the future of students in his own state,” he added.The Punjab Education Minister said, “The Haryana Police failed to act against the cheating syndicate. It was the Punjab Police that cracked the BFUHS Faridkot pharmacy examination cheating case, whose trail led to a Bhiwani-based mastermind. Despite this, attempts are being made to defame Punjab.”In a message to the Haryana Government, Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, “Stop exporting paper leaks and start fixing your own backyard. Punjab has zero tolerance for cheating. We will catch every single person involved. Stop trying to defame Punjab.”Calling Bhiwani the epicentre of the organised cheating network, Bains said, “Bhiwani is not just a city, it has become a factory of cheating. They destroyed the dreams of thousands of young people in Haryana who deserved jobs, admissions and placements. After ruining the future of their own children, they came to Punjab to expand their illegal business. This is the model of the Saini government, destroy your own and then poison others.”The Education Minister said the racket had been operating from Haryana by filling forms for competitive examinations and using highly sophisticated gadgets to facilitate cheating. He said the accused used modified Kechaoda (K33) phones converted into micro-chip devices, hidden communication equipment and other advanced gadgets to run the network. “The mastermind belongs to Bhiwani, Haryana. These handlers operated there for years. When their own state failed to act against them, they crossed into Punjab to expand their operations,” he said.