Congress Urges CBI To Probe Amit Shah's 'Most Corrupt' Charge Against Conrad Sangma, Now BJP Ally In Meghalaya

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote to the CBI asking for Union Home Minister Amit Shah to be questioned on his "categorical assertion" that Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma's government was the "most corrupt".

File photos of Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah ( Image Source :PTI )

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday informed that he wrote to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah be questioned on his "categorical assertion" that Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's government was the "most corrupt" dispensation in the country.

"I have written to the Director of CBI asking CBI to question the Home Minister further on his categorical assertion that Conrad Sangma's Govt in Meghalaya was the most corrupt in the country-That of course did not prevent BJP from supporting the same Conrad Sangma again," Jairam Ramesh shared on Twitter.

I have written to the Director of CBI asking CBI to question the Home Minister further on his categorical assertion that Conrad Sangma's Govt in Meghalaya was the most corrupt in the country-That of course did not prevent BJP from supporting the same Conrad Sangma again. pic.twitter.com/PxJn52J8ui

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 23, 2023

"Shri Amit Shah is also the Home Minister of India. In his capacity as the Home Minister, he would surely have had access to information and facts that led him to the above conclusion. For some inexplicable reasons, the Home Minister, who is also the former national president of Bhartiya Janta Party, has failed to act upon the information regarding the corrupt practices and instances of the then Meghalaya government," the letter dated March 21, 2023 reads.

"Therefore, in the highest national interest, we urge you to summon Shri Amit Shah and ask him to submit all the information and facts that led him to stated assessment
and investigate the matter. We also urge you to investigate if the Home Minister of India was under any undue duress from his party or other forces, to suppress the information related to the corruption of Meghalaya, in order to enable his party Bhartiya Janta Party to support the same Chief Minister after the recent Meghalaya elections," it adds.

Various news reports pertaining to Amit Shah's statement have also been attached with the letter.

Amit Shah's Allegations On Conrad Sangma's Govt

Addressing a public meeting in Meghalaya's Rangsakona before the February state election, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said: "BJP has promised that a Committee led by a Supreme Court judge will investigate all the corruption cases in the State, and will send the people involved in looting public money to jail."

He also remarked that "under Conrad Sangma, the electricity discom of the State became bankrupt due to corruption by the State Government."

"We need a strong BJP in Meghalaya that is why we broke the alliance before the polls and decided to contest all 60 Assembly seats. Meghalaya is one of the most corrupt states in the country due to the inefficiency of the state government," Shah said at an election meeting in the Garo Hills in February, as quoted in a report by the Deccan Chronicle.

The BJP, which was part of the National People's Party (NPP)-led government, BJP broke its alliance with the NPP before the elections in Meghalaya to contest all 60 assembly seats in the February 27 election. However, the NPP won 26 seats in the polls while the BJP got two. The Congress bagged five seats.

The BJP then extended formal support for Conrad Sangma's government.

The BJP and the CBI's response to Jairam Ramesh's letter is awaited.