A group from Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday launched a march to Delhi from Itanagar demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry against Chief Minister Pema Khandu on allegations of corruption, reported India Today NE.
The Arunachal Against Corruption group has been protesting against Khandu in Itanagar for about a month.
The group demands inquiry against Khandu in several alleged scams in government schemes and departments, including the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana. The scheme, undertaken by the Union government, is designed to provide continuous electricity supply to rural India.
Arunachal Against Corruption has accused the chief minister of mismanagement of Rs 142 crore under the scheme, reported The Sentinel.
On Sunday, Arunachal Against Corruption President Tarh Tahar told India Today NE that the state government has shown a lackadaisical attitude towards the group’s demands. Tahar said that his group launched the march after the government refused to respond to its demands.
“The organisation is today commencing its foot march to Delhi,” he said. “If any untoward incident happens during the march to our members then the state government will be responsible.”
He told Capital News, an Arunachal Pradesh-based news channel, that the group had requested for security for their march to Delhi but the government did not respond.
Khandu, however, has denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated. He has claimed that the charges have been levelled by former MLAs who lost the Assembly elections and cannot bear with the development in the state.
“It’s all about politics for 2024,” Khandu told India Today NE. “Those who lost in 2019 think that if I continue, their chapter in politics will be closed forever.”
Arunachal Pradesh will go to elections in 2024.
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