Congress should apologise, not me, says Rijiju

After the Congress party demanded Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's resignation in connection with a vigilance report accusing him of influencing payments for a hydro project contract in Arunachal Pradesh, the Minister of State for Home shot back saying the grand old party should apologise because the scam took place during their reign in the state.

"Congress people should apologise for this. The scam - awarding of contract and payments - all happened during the Congress' reign, and thus, the Congress should apologise to the nation," Rijiju told ANI.

"The scam happened during the Congress' reign, it has not happened during our regime. After 2014 had there been awarding of any contract or was there any payment? Hence, all evidences are during Congress' time, so they must apologise," he said.

When asked about the audio tape of purported conversation between his cousin Goboi and a vigilance official, Rijiju said in Arunachal, all villagers are cousins.

Earlier, Rijiju brushed aside all allegations of corruption levelled against him and his distant cousin, saying that the ones planting such news would be beaten up with shoes if they come to Arunachal.

He pushed aside all the blames calling it "shameful" and asked if helping one's own people be termed as 'corruption'.

"To help your own people is corruption? Is helping people corruption?" said Rijiju.

"This news is nothing but a mischief. I did write a letter but there's nothing suspicious about it," he added.

Rijiju, his distant cousin, a contractor in Arunachal Pradesh, Goboi Rijiju, and several other officials of North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) have been alleged of corruption in the construction of two dams for one of the biggest hydro-electric projects in Arunachal Pradesh.

Their names, including the names of Chairman and Managing Editor of NEEPCO, have been mentioned in a 129-page report submitted by the Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) Chief Vigilance Officer.