Minister Kiren Rijiju is facing allegations that he facilitated a 450-crore hydro-electric project scam
Highlights
- Alleged scam based in 450-crore project in Kiren Rijiju's constituency
- His cousin was part of project, minister asked for bills to be cleared
- Bills were reportedly on hold because they seemed dodgy
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju must resign because there is "audio proof" and other evidence that he facilitated a 450-crore scam embedded in a huge hydro-electric project in his home state of Arunachal Pradesh, the opposition Congress said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning, Mr Rijiju, who is the junior Home Minister vociferously denied the charges, snapping "Those who are planting this news, if they come where we are, they will get hit with shoes. Is it corruption to try and help your people?" He also told NDTV that the Prime Minister's Office has not sought any explanation from him.
A relative of Mr Rijiju, named Goboi Rijiju, was a sub-contractor hired for the hydro-electric project. The Congress has released an audio file of Goboi Rijiju talking in December 2015 to a senior anti-corruption official with the state-run power firm that was building two dams. Satish Verma, the Chief Vigilance Officer with the firm, had said months earlier in a report that the government was in danger of being gypped of nearly 450 crores, mainly because it was being presented with inflated and fictitious bills for the removal in trucks of large stones and boulders for the construction of a dam in Mr Rijiju's constituency.
The Congress claims that an audio recording of Mr Verma's conversation with Goboi Rijiju has the minister's relative revealing that the official is about to be promoted. Goboi Rijiju also offers,"Sir, if there is anything that my brother can do, please do let me know." NDTV cannot verify the authenticity of the tape.
In November 2015, Mr Rijiju wrote to the Power Ministry asking for the stalled bills - red-flagged for corruption - to be cleared. He told NDTV on Tuesday "I just asked the Power Minister to look into the matter," adding that his intent was to help people in his constituency who complained that their payments were blocked. "Most of the payments were made before we (BJP) formed government," the minister said, stating that he asked "only for the remaining amount" to be cleared.
Later in the evening, after the power ministry issued a statement denying that there was any irregularity in the matter and that the minister had no role to play in the release of payments, Mr Rijiju tweeted: