New Arunachal Cong Chief Under Fire

Dollum, who belongs to the anti-Gegong group in the party, was appointed APCC president by the Congress high command on September 12, took over on Monday in the presence of duty magistrate, Itanagar, and other police officials, L Wanglat, MLA and APCC spokesman said.

He is said to have arrived here from Delhi on Monday evening and rushed to the party office in a procession. Dollum and his supporters then forcibly entered the office which ended in a scuffle between the supporters of both groups.

Wanglat said former home minister Neelam Taram, former MP Latey Umbrey, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Seva Dal chairman Taki Taba and eight other Congress leaders were also arrested early yesterday. The arrests have been made at the instance of Chief Minister Gegong Apang, he said.

 

A report from Itanagar said the Congress legislature party and its associate members in the state have unanimously requested the AICC to cancel Dulom's appointment as the new state unit president and condemned the attack on the existing president, Talar Doye, vice-president Kuru Hasang and general secretary Mokar Riba by Dulom supporters here on Monday.

After the joint meeting, Apang said here on Monday that the legislators took strong exception to Dulom's appointment without taking CLP leader into confidence. He said this had resulted in the unfortunate attack on the party's existing president.

The legislators felt that such action on the part of the AICC would only weaken the party in the state, Apang said.

The Chief Minister said the meeting condemned the alleged attempt by Dulom and his supporters to forcibly occupy the office of the president by engaging anti-social element which lead to the brutal attack on senior Congress leaders.

In a statement here Dulom said he has taken over as the new state unit president and dissolved the existing office bearers. He has also appointed a new vice-president and a new general secretary.