The Congress on Tuesday questioned why Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu continues to remain in office despite the Supreme Court directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to initiate an inquiry into allegations of corruption linked to public works contracts.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, described the situation as a “gross travesty” of the apex court’s order and asked why the chief minister had not stepped down following the court’s directions.
Ramesh referred to the Supreme Court’s April 6 order instructing the CBI to begin a preliminary inquiry into allegations that contracts worth ₹1,270 crore had been awarded over a period of nearly a decade to firms allegedly owned by or associated with members of Khandu’s family.
“This is not an order of a lower court or a High Court. It is of the Supreme Court. Yet the CM continues in office. He is also the PWD Minister and controls the files that the CBI will need to conduct its inquiry,” Ramesh said.
He also made an apparent reference to Narendra Modi, questioning the silence of the Prime Minister on the issue and referring to the anti-corruption slogan “na khaoonga, na khaane doonga”.
Ramesh further alleged that there were other BJP chief ministers who, according to him, could be placed in a similar category.
Earlier, on April 6, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to register a preliminary inquiry within two weeks into allegations of preferential allotment of public works contracts in Arunachal Pradesh to firms allegedly linked to Khandu’s family members.
The bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath observed that the State and its institutions could not extend benefits based on the “whims of any political or administrative functionary”.
The apex court also stated that the case involved allegations of conflict of interest at the “highest levels” and held that an independent investigation was necessary, stressing that the process should not only be fair but also appear fair.
