Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Assam Governor Syed Sibtey Razi Tuesday rubbished allegations of corruption against him as “false” and asserted that he would complete his full term as governor.
However, highly placed government officials maintained there was pressure on him to demit office following complaints that his aides and staff allegedly made money for transfers and postings when he was governor of Jharkhand.

“The allegations against me are false… I have nothing to do with this,” Razi told reporters in Delhi, and added: “I will complete my full term as governor of Assam.”

Razi, who was sworn in as Assam governor July 27, has been apparently camping in Delhi to get a hearing from the Congress party high command following the allegations of corruption, sources said. He was a Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, sources in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) denied reports that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had personally met with Razi last week and asked him to quit after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the houses of two of Razi’s former aides last month. Both are under the scanner for having amassed assets allegedly disproportionate to their income.

The investigation agency is reported to have unearthed evidence that his aides allegedly took bribes for the transfers and postings of officials and appropriated funds meant for the National Games to be held in Jharkhand.

This is not the first time Razi has courted controversy. In March 2005, as Jharkhand governor Razi had invited Shibu Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to form a government instead of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that had staked claim with half the legislators supporting it.

He was then widely criticised for being partisan and was summoned by the president to New Delhi for an explanation. Subsequently, an NDA government led by Arjun Munda was sworn into office and the government went on to prove its majority on the floor of the house.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is in the capital, was non-committal over the controversy surrounding Razi.

“How can I say anything about the charges? How can I react to newspaper reports? There is no complaint against him in Assam,” said Gogoi.

Close aides to Gogoi added that Razi had hardly spent time in Guwahati after taking over as governor and had moved to the capital ostensibly on health grounds.