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Arunachal Pradesh : No end to political crisis |
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There is yet no end to the political crisis in Arunachal Pradesh caused by the downsizing of the BJP-led United Democratic Front Ministry led by Chief Minister Gegong Apang.
As the crisis continued to unfold, Chief Minister Gegong Apang met Union Home Minister Shiv Raj Patil in New Delhi on July 12 and submitted cassettes and documents purported to be related to the alleged “gherao” of the State Governor, V.C. Pande, who first recommended imposition of President’s Rule in the state and backtracked later.
“I have given all relevant papers to him (Home Minister) to assess the situation. Also cassettes which contain the gherao incidents and how the Governor was made to write the letter, “ said Apang who led a delegation of BJP state members.
Asked if his party favoured early elections, Apang said : “the caretaker government will be there till the elections are held. They could be held early.”
During his stay in the capital, Apang also met BJP president Venkaiah Naidu and CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet.
A delegation of state Congress leaders led by Mukut Mithi also met President Kalam and apprised him of the situation in the state. Earlier, he also met Home Minister Shivraj Patil. The Congress in the state is insisting that the Government needs to impose President’s Rule in the state and remove the Apang Government.
Speaking to media persons, Mithi said they had impressed upon the central leaders of the party that it was necessary to impose President’s Rule in Arunachal Pradesh as Assembly elections due later this year could not be free and fair with Apang as the caretaker Chief Minister.
In this atmosphere of frenetic political activity, it has become apparent that the cohesive nature of Arunachal politics no longer holds true. Amid allegations that Apang is manipulating to rejoin the Congress and wrest power from Mithi as party chief, politics in this state is rapidly polarising into lobby groups based on separate communities.
Political observers say it’s a question of might and money. Recently, the limit the MLA Local Area Development Fund (MLALADF) was raised to Rs 50 lakh per legislator. However, with the House dissolved, this source has been denied to former legislators. Now, the 10-month government of Apang faces an uncertain election battle ahead as 13 former UDF ministers and legislators have already switched to the Congress.
Assam : Rights panel orders review of Dispur steps
The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has directed the state government to constitute review committees at the subdivisional and district levels to monitor implementation of steps taken by Dispur to check recruitment of youths by the banned militant outfit, Ulfa.
The commission issued the directive after hearing 130 complaint petitions, in which the complainants said their kith and kin had been forcibly engaged by Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah and his followers in the service of the banned outfit.
They pleaded before the commission to ensure that their relatives be brought back to the mainstream.
In a reply to an earlier notice of the commission, the state government had said all superintendents of police were asked to conduct a survey to detect whether the youths had been engaged by the militant outfit. If this was so, it said, efforts should be made to apprehend such youths by conducting operations.
The commission was also told that the SPs have implemented several measures to prevent youths from joining the outfit.
Police have been organising meetings in villages at which the villagers, specially the youths, are urged not to be misguided by militants and criminals, the state government told the commission.
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