Congress counter to Rahul notice: asks CBI to summon Amit Shah over Meghalaya govt charges

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Home Minister Amit Shah had termed the NPP government as the ‘most corrupt government in the country’ during a rally on February 17.

Jairam Ramesh said Amit Shah termed the NPP government as the “most corrupt government in the country” during a rally on February 17. (File)

The Congress has written to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to “summon” Home Minister Amit Shah to gather information regarding his charges of corruption against the National People’s Party (NPP) government in Meghalaya ahead of the Assembly elections held in the state last month.

In a letter dated March 21, addressed to CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said it was necessary to question Shah since “for some inexplicable reasons” he has “failed” to act upon the information based on which he made the allegations.

Ramesh said Shah termed the NPP government as the “most corrupt government in the country” during a rally on February 17.

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

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“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 the BJP, has failed to act upon the information regarding the corrupt practices and instances of the then Meghalaya government,” Ramesh wrote.

“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,” Ramesh added.

The Congress’ move comes days after the Delhi Police served a notice to party MP Rahul Gandhi over his remarks made at Srinagar during a rally marking the culmination of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, on alleged instances of sexual abuse against women.

Through the notice, the Congress said, police have sought details about women along the march who had come and complained to Rahul about domestic violence, molestation and harassment. Police officials had even reached the former Congress president’s residence in connection with the notice, drawing allegations of “intimidation” and “vendetta” from the Opposition party.

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In his preliminary reply to the police, Rahul termed the police action “unprecedented” and asked whether this had anything to do with his position taken both inside and outside Parliament on the Adani issue.