Congress Accuses BJP-Led Government of Obstructing CBI Probe into Arunachal Pradesh Contract Irregularities

The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP-led government in Arunachal Pradesh of attempting to obstruct a Supreme Court -monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into alleged irregularities in the award of public works contracts . Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that the state government was trying to prevent the probe from progressing despite directions issued by the Supreme Court. “The BJP has clearly decided to brazen it out in Arunachal Pradesh, even though the Supreme Court has ordered a CBI investigation and the decision of the Chief Minister is under scrutiny,” Ramesh said. The controversy relates to allegations that public works contracts in Arunachal Pradesh were awarded to firms allegedly owned by or linked to family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu. According to Ramesh, a preliminary inquiry report submitted by the CBI to the Supreme Court in April 2026 referred to allegations that contracts worth Rs 1,270 crore were awarded to firms linked to members of the Chief Minister’s family between January 2015 and December 2025. The Congress leader alleged that the CBI continued to face pressure and said all relevant files and records connected to the inquiry should be made available to the investigating agency. He also questioned why Khandu had not been removed from office despite the apex court ordering a CBI investigation into the allegations. Ramesh described the matter as a “gross travesty” of the Supreme Court’s order and called for an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities. Referring to the apex court’s observations, he said the allegations were considered serious enough to warrant an independent probe free from political or administrative influence. He further argued that the case raised wider concerns over transparency in public procurement and possible conflicts of interest within the state administration. The BJP and the Arunachal Pradesh government had not immediately responded to the allegations. The Supreme Court-ordered investigation into the alleged contract irregularities is currently being examined by the CBI.