PRC stir: Parties demand Arunachal CM Pema Khandu’s resignation

Itanagar: A delegation of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA), Janata Dal (Secular) and National People’s Party (NPP) on Wednesday called on Governor BD Mishra at Raj Bhawan in Itanagar and served a memorandum-cum-three-day ultimatum demanding the dropping of chief minister Pema Khandu from his post.

Addressing media persons later in the evening, Congress president Takam Sanjoy said that they have asked the governor to practice his power and functions by sacking Khandu from his post.

“The governor, during his deliberation with us was very clear that the army was not a party of the firings during the recent anti-Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) agitation that claimed three innocent lives. The home minister has also clarified that he did not give out the firing order and was moreover unaware of it. So it is obvious that the shooting orders were given either by the chief minister or his deputy and they are responsible for the deaths of the three youths,” Sanjoy said.

The Congress president also said Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju should also step down from his post for allegedly sending the army to the capital.

Echoing Sanjoy, former chief minister and JDS leader, Gegong Apang also said that chief minister Khandu should resign from his position as it was under his command the State has lost three youths and many were left injured after the recent PRC protest.

Apang added that the police officers who were on duty during the agitation should also be terminated from their posts.

Terming the youths as martyrs, he informed that the party leaders requested the governor to build a memorial for them. “The governor was positive towards the demand,” Apang said.

PPA president, Khafa Bengia alleged that the Khandu BJP-led government is trying to convert Arunachal into a non-tribal State and said that the lives of the three youths killed in the firing cannot be compensated by government jobs and announcement of ex gratia.

Calling for imposition of President’s Rule, Bengia said, “During the reign of previous government, President’s Rule was imposed in Arunachal when a mithun (Bos Fontalis) was killed near the Raj Bhawan. Now the government is hesitating to impose the same when the state has lost three innocent lives.”

State NPP leader, Tangya Byaling ruled out the clarification given by chief minister Khandu that the recent chaos was caused due to political intervention.

“Under his (Khandu’s) leadership, the state has witnessed a war like situation in the capital where three died and many are still recovering from their injuries. The CM’s statement of the PRC protest being “political chaos” is only to garner votes from the public,” Byaling said.

He also asked the state government to declare February 24 as Martyrs’ Day.

The parties have threatened to sit for a dharna in front of the Raj Bhawan if their demands are not met.