Congress blames PM Modi, BJP chief for fresh crisis in Arunachal Pradesh

Blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for current state of turbulence in Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress on Friday asserted that the 42 MLA who resigned in a mass exodus were 'kidnapped', adding that the authority who converted the people's mandate were engineered obviously by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

Briefing the media here, Congress spokesperson Surjewala said the 42 legislators joined a regional outfit because allurements, inducements and a fabrication of communal fault lines were used, adding that the MLAs were "kidnapped and taken away."

"The simple question is who did the people of Arunachal Pradesh vote for? On whose symbol were these MLAs elected? These MLs were elected on the symbol of Indian National Congress and people of Arunachal Pradesh voted Congress party to power," he said.

"Disrespect of people's mandate at the altar and lure of money power and muscle power is rampant and writ large in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The BJP government made two such attempts earlier. They were engineered and none other than by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah," alleged the Congress spokesperson.

Accusing the BJP president for overturning the people' mandate, Surjewala said, "You cannot overturn people's mandate in this fashion. These are defiantly dark days of democracy and it will cease to exist.

"Such politics, as we are seeing in Arunachal Pradesh, is neither tenable nor credible," added Surjewala.

Earlier today, in what was seen as a fresh political crisis brewing in Arunachal Pradesh, 42 Congress MLAs, including chief minister Pema Khandu, today resigned from the party.

All these MLAs will be joining the Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA), formed by erstwhile chief minister late Kalikho Pul.

This is the second time in seven months that the PPA has been gifted a government in the frontier state.

In the 60-member House with an effective strength of 58, the Congress had the support of 47 MLAs, including two Independents, while Opposition BJP has 11 members.

Khandu was sworn-in as the ninth Arunachal Chief Minister on 17 July.

In a dramatic turnaround in this land-locked state on July 16, Congress replaced Nabam Tuki by choosing Khandu as the new Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, who staked claim to power on the basis of support of 45 party MLAs along with two Independents.