Bhopal, July 9 (IANS): Madhya Pradesh ministers on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to hand over the probe in the Vyapam scam to the CBI.

Defending Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state Home Minister Babulal Gaur said Chouhan followed the 'raj dharma' by taking the initiative for a CBI probe into the scam.

He said Singh moved the high court in this regard even before the Supreme Court order came on Thursday.

On the Congress demanding the chief minister's resignation, Gaur said: “ Did the then chief minister Arjun singh resign when the probe into the Bhopal gas tragedy was handed over to the CBI?”

State Health Minister Narottam Mishra also welcomed the Supreme Court decision and said the chief minister himself was keen on the CBI probe. That is why he approached the high court.

Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal) or Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board conducts recruitment and entrance exams not conducted by the MP Public Service Commission. The scam came to light in 2013. So far, nearly 2,100 arrests have been made in connection with the scam.

According to officials, there have been 33 deaths of those involved in the Vyapam scam. Unofficial sources, however, put the number of deaths at over 40.