Congress to rake up Kiren Rijiju kin issue

The Congress, which will be demanding answers from the government over the decision to impose President’s Rule in Arunachal when Parliament meets later this month, will also rake up the appointment of Mr Jorma Beda.

It has been accusing Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju of “running a proxy government” in the state by taking over control of Raj Bhavan through hand-picked bureaucrats. It is hoping to grill Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue when the Budget Session starts on February 23.

Authoritative sources in the state government told this newspaper the notification on Mr Beda’s appointment was issued on January 27, soon after President’s Rule was imposed. Bureaucrats in the state claim that Mr Beda’s relationship with the Union minister is the main reason for his appointment at Raj Bhavan, where he is alleged to be wielding more power than the governor’s advisers, who are regarded as equivalent to ministers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier advised all his ministers to keep their relatives away from governance. The appointment of Mr Rijiju’s relative to a key post in Arunachal could snowball into a major controversy in the state.