New Delhi, Feb. 24 (PTI): Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday accused the Congress of instigating the people of Arunachal Pradesh to protest against the move to grant permanent resident certificates to six communities living in the state.
Rijiju also said Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has clarified that the state government was not bringing the bill on PRC but only tabling report of the Nabam Rebia-led Joint Hight Powered Committee comprising members and student organisations.
“It means the state government has not accepted it. In fact, Congress is fighting for PRC but instigating people wrongly,” he tweeted.
Rebia is a cabinet minister in the state government.
Rijiju alleged that the Congress has supported and “instigated” non-Arunachal Pradesh STs in Lekang area to fight for PRC but in Itanagar “misguided” the innocent people.
“From the beginning I have strongly urged the state government not to grant PRC unless people are convinced of full protection of indigenous rights. We must stand united,” he said.
People in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh have been protesting after the state government announced it was considering issuing permanent resident certificates (PRC) to six non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APSTs) communities living in Namsai and
Changlang districts and to the Gorkhas living in Vijaynagar.
Amongst those communities are Deoris, Sonowal Kacharis, Morans, Adivasis and Mishings.
Most of these communities are recognised as Scheduled Tribes in neighbouring Assam.
Widespread violation have been reported in capital Itanagar and some other places leading to death of a person, injury to several others and destruction of properties and vehicles.
10 companies of ITBP dispatched to violence-hit Arunachal
As many as 1,000 paramilitary troops have been dispatched to Arunachal Pradesh as widespread violence erupted in the state over the recommendation to grant permanent resident certificates (PRC) to six communities, officials said on Sunday.
At least two persons have died as protests broke out on Saturday after the state government announced that it was considering issuing PRC to six non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (APSTs) living in the Namsai and Changlang districts. The communities are Deoris, Sonowal Kacharis, Morans, Adivasis, Mishings and Gorkhas. Most of them are recognised as Scheduled Tribes in neighbouring Assam.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has dispatched 10 additional companies of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for deployment in law-and-order duties in Itanagar and other violence-hit places, an official said.
The state government will deploy the troops as per the requirement of the local administration. Five ITBP companies have already been deployed in the state, the official said. A company of paramilitary comprises 100 personnel.
The ITBP personnel have been sent on an urgent basis as Itanagar and other areas have witnessed widespread violence, destruction of properties and vehicles on Sunday, officials said.
The mob has tried to set ablaze the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and also tried to target residence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, another official said.
