Itanagar, April 20: Members of Arunachal Civil Society staged a protest march on Sunday demanding the resignation of Pema Khandu to ensure a fair investigation into alleged irregularities in government contracts linked to his family members.
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| Members of Arunachal Civil Society march in Itanagar demanding Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s resignation amid a Supreme Court-ordered CBI probe into alleged contract irregularities |
The rally began from Akashdeep and concluded at Tennis Court, with participants carrying placards and raising slogans calling for transparency and accountability in public administration.
The protest follows a recent order by the Supreme Court of India, which on April 6 directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a preliminary inquiry into public works contracts reportedly worth over ₹1,270 crore awarded between 2015 and 2025.
The contracts are alleged to be linked to firms associated with the chief minister’s relatives, including Brand Eagles, reportedly connected to his wife, and Alliance Trading Co., linked to his nephew. Activists have alleged that the deals bypassed standard tender norms, raising concerns over possible conflict of interest. The Supreme Court has directed authorities to preserve all relevant evidence and submit a status report within 16 weeks.
During the rally, protesters demanded that Khandu temporarily step down as chief minister while the preliminary CBI inquiry is underway. They also called for unrestricted functioning of state institutions to ensure a fair and independent investigation.
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Despite the strong demands, the protest concluded peacefully with participants reiterating their call for transparency and accountability in governance.
Meanwhile, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh has stated that it has taken note of the concerns raised by the civil society group and assured full cooperation with the ongoing CBI inquiry into the contracts worth around ₹1,200 crore allegedly linked to firms connected to the chief minister and his relatives.
