Arunachal MLAs say CM involved in graft

The group of 21 rebel MLAs of the Congress, led by former minister Kalikho Pul, here on Saturday said that their fight against the Congress leadership was aimed to rescue the frontier state Arunachal Pradesh from the disastrous situation.

The Congress had accused the Centre for trying to topple the state government. Asserting that Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki was involved in rampant corruption, Mr Pul said that what Arunachal Pradesh governor J.P. Rajkhowa did was within his constitutional authority.

Pointing out that the governor intervened only after the government ignored a notice of 11 BJP MLAs on November 19 to convene a special session of the Assembly, Mr Pul escorted by his loyalists said, “It was not for the first time that a governor had allowed Assembly session outside the Assembly premises. Delhi chief minister Arvinda Kejriwal was allowed to conduct Assembly session at Ramlila Ground (Delhi). There have been more such instances in Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.”

The governor passed this order after the Speaker facing impeachment motion locked up the Assembly premises. He said that even first venue selected for Assembly session was vandalised by some miscreants.

Referring some specific instances in which Mr Tuki and his close relatives are found to have been involved in serious financial frauds in the state, Mr Pul, who is here to challenge the high court order before a division bench said, “Our fight against this corrupt regime is not few days old but for past nine months we have been pleading before the AICC to take remedial steps and remove Mr Tuki.”

Regretting that Congress high command was not listening to their grievances, Mr Pul claimed that they are still with the Congress and intend to remain with the party.

Claiming that they have an understanding with the BJP on the floor of the House to remove the chief minister and Speaker, Mr Pul said that the governor has not done any favour to them by following the constitutional provision of summoning the special session of Assembly after the BJP moved an impeachment motion against the Speaker.

Veteran Congress MLA and former minister Chowna Mein said, “I was also the Speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly. The governor has every rights to convene the special session of the Assembly at a short notice of 15 days also.” The governor was forced to intervene as Speaker refused to take cognisance to the impeachment motion moved by 11 BJP MLAs,” he said that speaker resorted to unconstitutional means by disqualifying 16 Congress MLAs unilaterally without following the procedure.

Mr Pul, however, reiterated that they have full faith in judiciary, which will provide them relief after hearing the complete story.