While the government and the BJP were already backing Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home, over allegations of his involvement in a scam related to a construction of a dam in Arunachal Pradesh, the union minister has now received support from unexpected quarter – from Congress leaders.
At least three local panchayat leaders of Congress from Arunachal Pradesh have written a signed letter in support of Rijiju, declaring that they were astonished to hear corruption charges with regard to construction of the dam.
The Congress leaders, who were also sub-contractors for transporting boulders to the construction site, have clarified that they had approached Rijiju because they were deprived off their rightful payments after controversial officer Satish Verma claimed an “elaborate conspiracy” to swindle funds.
“We may have political differences because many of us are representing Congress party in public life but it is our right to approach elected representatives from the States for conveying our grievances,” the letter read.
The letter clarified that Rijijiu’s involvement in the whole affair was only as an elected representative who agreed to help: “His conduct in this case was his responsibility towards the people of Projects affected site irrespective of political affiliation.”
The letter was shared by Kiren Rijiju on Twitter earlier today:
This is a tight slap on the face of Congress✋! Senior Congress Panchayat leaders are also condemning the shameful & malicious Congress act. pic.twitter.com/wuEdH7Z2gJ
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) December 15, 2016
The letter is another shot in the arm for Rijiju, who had earlier received support from the government which blamed Satish Verma for creating a malicious and motivated report to implicate the minister.
This also bolsters the claim of BJP that if at all there was any scam and inflated bills were generated by the sub-contractors – as the report by Satish Verma claims – it is the Congress party that has to be asked the questions as contracts were awarded in 2012, when Congress was in power, and many of these sub-contractors were affiliated to the Congress party.
