Aides bring trouble for Assam Governor

New Delhi: Assam Governor Syed Sibtey Razi has been asked by the Centre to quit after allegations that his aides and staff used to swing deals and make money in transfers and postings when he was the governor of Jharkhand.

Raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reportedly confirm the alleged corruption when Razi was the governor of Jharkhand.

Following the raids and allegations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked Razi to resign as Assam Governor.

At a meeting last week, the Prime Minister reportedly asked Razi to relinquish office on health grounds to save embarrassment to the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre.

But when Razi resisted, Singh insisted that he put in his papers. Razi has reportedly sought time to give his side of the story.

His former aides Rajesh Thakur and IAS officer Avinash Kumar are under the scanner for having amassed assets and misused funds meant for 34th National Games to be held in Jharkhand.

Who is Syed Sibtey Razi

• Razi joined the UP Youth Congress in 1969, became the head of the organisation in 1971 and continued to lead the unit until 1973.
• Razi was a member of Rajya Sabha from 1980-85, and then from 1988 to 1998.
• Razi created controversy in March 2005 when as Jharkhand governor he invited Shibu Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to form government instead of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which had staked claim with 50 per cent seats in the Assembly.
• The then president APJ Abdul Kalam sought an explanation from Razi after NDA protested in New Delhi.
• On July 18 , 2009, the UPA Government shunted Razi from Jharkhand to Assam after then Intelligence Bureau's Ranchi station-in-charge Janardan Singh confirmed an ex-MLA's complaint to the PMO of alleged corruption involving the governor and his staff.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told CNN-IBN that he had not made any complaint against governor Razi, but if the charges against Razi are substantiated then the governor must go.

"I didn't discuss the governor issue. I didn't make any complaint, but if charges are true, then yes, he should go," Gogoi said.