Jairam Ramesh questions Pema Khandu's CM role amid CBI probe

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh questions why Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu remains in office despite a Supreme Court-ordered CBI investigation into allegations that his family was awarded contracts worth Rs 1,270 crore in a conflict of interest.

Jairam Ramesh Questions Khandu's Position

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday raised questions regarding why the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu is still serving as the States CM despite the ongoing CBI investigation. In a post on X, he noted that the Chief Minister's family was awarded with Rs 1,270 crore over the last ten years, after which the Supreme Court ordered the CI investigation.

"It was on April 6, 2026, that a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court directed the CBI to commence a preliminary inquiry into allegations that the Arunachal Pradesh CM's family was awarded contracts worth Rs 1,270 crore over 10 years from Jan 2015 to Dec 2025 in a direct conflict of interest," he said.

"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," he added. It was on April 6, 2026, that a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court directed the CBI to commence a preliminary inquiry into allegations that the Arunachal Pradesh CM’s family was awarded contracts worth Rs 1,270 crore over 10 years from Jan 2015 to Dec 2025 in a direct… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 19, 2026

Criticism of PM Modi's Silence

Further, the Congress MP criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his silence on the issue, citing his very famous "Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga" slogan, which he chanted against corruption, translating to "I will neither take a bribe nor allow anyone else to take one."

"Why is the man who once said 'Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga' quiet, and why has the Arunachal Pradesh CM not been asked to step down? This is a gross travesty of the Supreme Court's verdict itself," he said.

"There are other BJP CMs as well who fall in the category of the Arunachal Pradesh CM," he added.

Supreme Court Orders CBI Probe

The remarks follow the apex court's order for an inquiry into allegations that several public works contracts in Arunachal Pradesh were awarded to firms associated with Khandu's family members between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2025. The apex court instructed the CBI to conduct the preliminary inquiry and submit a status report within 16 weeks.

The Supreme Court's intervention follows a petition filed by Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena, seeking a CBI or SIT investigation into the alleged corruption.

Details of the Allegations

The petition claims that Khandu's family members were awarded multiple government contracts, raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest. The inquiry examines whether public works contracts were unfairly directed to companies owned by Khandu's family members, including his father Dorjee Khandu's second wife, Rinchin Drema, and his nephew, Tsering Tashi.

In a helicopter crash in 2011, Dorjee Khandu died when he was the Chief Minister. Rinchin Drema's firm, Brand Eagles, has been awarded a large number of government contracts despite there being a clear conflict of interest, the petitioner claimed.

The PIL claimed that when there is evidence of government contracts being awarded only to the firms of family members of the Chief Minister and his close associates, then it is reasonable to draw an inference that such favour for government contract works of vast magnitude could not have been possible without direct knowledge, consent, and active support of the minister concerned. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)