Staff reporter
ITANAGAR, 1 Feb: Following the Supreme Court’s issuing a notice against Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his family members, organisation Arunachal Against Corruption (AAC) on Thursday demanded that the CM step down on moral grounds.
Addressing mediaper-sons during a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here, AAC spokesperson Birendra Tallong informed that “in response to the PIL filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and the Voluntary Arunachal Sena against corruption in the state, the Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and the Arunachal Pradesh government to respond and direct a CBI or an SIT probe into the allegations.”
“We are very happy and welcome the Supreme Court’s steps because we are fighting against corruption and financial mismanagement since long, and had gone on a foot march to Delhi, but we did not get any response from the government.”
“The result of the long-pending case has come out, and the court has issued a notice that either the CBI or an SIT inquire into the award of contracts for public works to firms owned by family members of the chief minister,” he said.
Demanding a transparent investigation, Tallong said that Khandu should step down from his post “because the case or investigation is against him.”
“If he remains on the CM’s chair, he will be an obstruction to the investigation, and no investigation can be carried out smoothly,” he said.
“If CM Khandu believes in zero tolerance, he should step down on moral grounds and let the investigating agency investigate in a free and fair manner,” Tallong added.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on Monday issued a notice to the Union of India, the state government, the CBI, Khandu, and others on a plea filed by NGOs, seeking a CBI or SIT probe into alleged award of contracts for public works to firms owned by family members of chief minister.
