Jairam Ramesh questions Pema Khandu's continuance as SC-ordered Arunachal CBI probe moves ahead
New Delhi, Sep 18 (UNI) Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh on Friday stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Supreme Court-ordered CBI inquiry into contracts worth Rs 1,270 crore in Arunachal Pradesh, questioning why Chief Minister Pema Khandu continues in office despite allegations surrounding the award of contracts to members of his family.
In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh referred to the Supreme Court's April 6, 2026 order directing a CBI inquiry into contracts awarded between 2015 and 2025 and alleged that the order had "taken the Modi government by surprise". He argued that Khandu, who was Arunachal Pradesh's PWD Minister during the period under scrutiny, should have resigned or been asked to step down.
"The CM should have immediately resigned or asked to resign. But both the CM and his Supreme Leader, the PM, decided to brazen it out," Ramesh said, targeting both the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister and the Prime Minister over their handling of the matter. Ramesh also referred to subsequent Supreme Court proceedings on August 3 and 24, alleging that the state government had not provided the CBI with documents sought by the investigating agency. At the August 3 hearing, the court directed senior state government officials to appear and explain the alleged non-cooperation after concerns were raised over access to records relevant to the inquiry. At the August 24 hearing, the Supreme Court took note of the state government's response regarding the documents supplied to the CBI.
Ramesh alleged that instead of providing the specific records sought by the investigating agency, the government had supplied a large volume of documents that, according to him, did not adequately address the CBI's requirements. The matter is next scheduled to come up before the Supreme Court on September 25. Ramesh further claimed that the union Home Minister was taken by surprise by what he described as the CBI's "new-found courage" in pursuing the investigation and raising questions about the state government's cooperation. Calling Khandu's continued presence in office "extraordinary and totally unacceptable", Ramesh alleged that the episode demonstrated what he described as the "complete hypocrisy" of the Prime Minister in dealing with allegations of corruption.
"Yet another example of khaya hai, khane diya hai aur khilwaya bhi hai!" Ramesh said, using the Hindi expression to allege that wrongdoing had not only been tolerated but also facilitated. The Supreme Court-ordered inquiry concerns contracts awarded in Arunachal Pradesh during the period from 2015 to 2025, and the CBI investigation is proceeding under judicial oversight. Allegations raised in the proceedings and by political parties remain subject to investigation and due process. The court's directions regarding the production of records and cooperation with the investigating agency do not, by themselves, establish criminal liability against Khandu, his relatives or any other individual. Ramesh's intervention comes as the Congress continues to question the Modi government's handling of corruption allegations involving leaders associated with the ruling establishment.
With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear the matter again on September 25, attention is likely to remain focused on the progress of the CBI inquiry, the availability of the records sought by the agency and the state government's compliance with the court's directions.
