Arunachal political crisis: CM urges Mukherjee, Modi to intervene

In the face of the political crisis that has gripped Arunachal Pradesh after the governor convened the winter session of the assembly earlier than scheduled, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Thursday wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking their "support and timely intervention".

In his letter, Tuki pointed out that whereas Article 174 of the Constitution provides for the governor to summon a session of the legislative assembly on the aid and advice of the chief minister and his council of ministers, Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa summoned the session on the strength of Article 175 (2) which was "only for a bill and not any resolution of the members of the house".

Rajkhowa convened the winter session from Wednesday instead of its normal schedule from January 14 next year.

Amid protests, Wednesday's session was held at a community hall with the participation of only 34 legislators, including 21 dissident Congress members, with the deputy speaker in the chair.

The house then passed an impeachment motion against Speaker Nabam Rebia by voice vote. Tuki and his supporters opposed the holding of the winter session and abstained from it.

Tuki in his letter said that the governor "not stopping by issuing this illegal order, also issues the agenda of the business to be transacted by selectively taking up pending business of removal of the speaker to be chaired by the deputy speaker, whereas the notice for removal of the deputy speaker was submitted earlier to the assembly secretariat".

The chief minister said that despite he and his council of ministers registering protest and requesting the governor on December 15 to reconsider his illegal order, "he refused to heed to our genuine request".

"In utter violation of all norms and laid down procedures, the deputy speaker, who stands disqualified along with some legislators, convenes the illegal session with the permission" of the governor "in a badminton court and passes resolution for removal of the Speaker", Tuki wrote.

He said this was an "unprecedented murder of democracy and bypass of a democratically elected government and contravention to the provisions and ideals of our beloved Constitution of India".

"I am enclosing copies of all relevant documents on this issue and seek your support and timely intervention on the issue in the larger interest of the nation and to uphold the ideals as enshrined in our Constitution of India," Tuki concluded.