Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday termed the 36-hour Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) bandh called by the All Nyishi Youth Association (ANYA) as “politically motivated” and urged the people to oppose the same.
“The ANYA is a youth organization and just a platform and there are a few groups with vested political interests that want to use the same and cause law and order issues in Itanagar and Naharlagun,” Khandu said, while adding that the home department is keeping a tab on all such developments.
The chief minister said this in an interview with Arunachal Today, an Itanagar based digital media house.
Stating that the government has already invited the ANYA to come forward for talks with answers to their allegations, Khandu also appealed to the people to not make the issue a communal one.
“I would like to make it clear that the issues raised by ANYA are not a communal one and neither is the bandh call. The Nyishi Elite Society (NES), the apex organization of the Nyishi community and even the Nyishi ministers and legislators have appealed to the ANYA to call off the bandh,” Khandu said.
The chief minister further said everyone should by now understand that bandhs only cause harassment to the normal public.
“We have to stop this bandh culture if we want development in Arunachal. There are no winners when bandhs are organized and the public are the most affected,” he said while asking the unions, organizations and individuals with grievances to come forward and sit for talks with the government.
Khandu said the present government is an inclusive one and always ready to talk.
“If there is any seriousness in your allegations then you can always drag me to the court. One can also follow the justice delivery system of the country and approach the High and Supreme Courts instead of creating law and order problems and harassing the public,” he said.
The ANYA has called a 36-hour ICR bandh from 5 am Thursday demanding the resignation of Khandu while alleging that there are several charges of corruption against the chief minister.
Several other allegations have also been leveled against the chief minister by the union which has been termed “baseless” by the government.
Internet suspended:
The ICR administration has ordered the suspension of all internet services from Wednesday 5 pm until 5 pm of January 14 in view of the bandh call.
ICR deputy commissioner Talo Potom vide an order issued on Wednesday said that the internet services were being suspended in order “to prevent the occurrence of serious law and order problems during the proposed 36-hour bandh called by the ANYA”.
The ICR administration, which has already declared the bandh as illegal, has also prohibited the entry of non-domicile person(s) in the capital region without a valid reason or medical emergency until January 14.
