Itanagar, Aug 10: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Pema Khandu on moral grounds and urged the state government to extend full cooperation to the CBI in the preliminary enquiry ordered by the Supreme Court into allegations relating to government contracts and public works in the state.
APCC working president Tanga Byaling expressed concern over what the party described as alleged non-cooperation by the state government in furnishing records and documents sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The APCC said the Supreme Court, in its April 6 order, directed the CBI to register a preliminary enquiry into allegations concerning the award and execution of public works contracts and work orders in Arunachal Pradesh between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2025.
According to the Congress, the court directed the CBI to examine the procurement process, reasons for dispensing with open tender, approvals, official records, beneficial ownership of contractor entities, fund flows and payments, besides other connected matters.
The party said the Supreme Court had also directed the state government and concerned departments to extend full cooperation to the CBI, provide relevant records and preserve physical and electronic documents connected with the enquiry.
The APCC further claimed that the CBI, in a status report submitted before the Supreme Court, had raised the issue of alleged non-cooperation by the state government. It said the apex court, taking note of the CBI status report dated July 17, directed the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home) to appear before it on August 24 with their responses.
“This raises a fundamental question. If the State Government has nothing to hide, why should there be any delay, obstruction or difficulty in providing records to an investigation ordered by the highest court of the country?” the APCC said.
The Congress, however, clarified that it was not pronouncing anyone guilty and that the CBI preliminary enquiry was intended to ascertain facts and determine whether the allegations warranted further investigation.
APCC recalled that it had demanded Khandu’s resignation immediately after the Supreme Court’s April 6 order, saying his stepping down would ensure public confidence in a free and impartial enquiry and remove any perception of conflict of interest.
The party said Khandu had then welcomed the Supreme Court’s direction and assured the people of Arunachal Pradesh of full cooperation with the CBI.
“Recent developments have cast serious doubts over those assurances,” the APCC alleged, asking whether the state government had fulfilled its commitment to cooperate with the investigating agency.
The party also expressed concern over reported transfers and reshuffling of officials in departments connected with records falling within the scope of the enquiry. It demanded an assurance that no administrative action had affected the preservation, accessibility or integrity of records required by the CBI.
Questioning the BJP government’s claim of “zero tolerance against corruption”, the APCC said a government committed to transparency should welcome scrutiny and facilitate investigations without reservation.
The party demanded immediate and unconditional cooperation with the CBI, production of all relevant tender, work order, payment and approval records, preservation of physical and digital documents, and a public status report on the extent of cooperation extended to the agency.
It also sought a categorical assurance that no officer had been instructed to withhold, delay, alter or destroy records relevant to the enquiry and called for protection of officials, employees and whistleblowers cooperating with the investigation.
The APCC reiterated its demand for Khandu’s resignation pending completion of the enquiry, saying the step was necessary to ensure public confidence in the independence of the investigation.
“Public money belongs to the people of Arunachal Pradesh. Every contract, tender and expenditure funded by taxpayers must be subjected to the highest standards of transparency and accountability,” the party said.
The APCC said the matter was not merely a political issue but concerned public trust, constitutional accountability and the integrity of democratic institutions.
“Resign, cooperate, disclose and let the truth prevail,” the party said.