The BJP’s Arunachal Pradesh unit on Saturday denied any move to replace chief minister Pema Khandu, who enjoys support of 47 BJP and two Independent MLAs in the 60-member assembly.
“I vehemently refute the news item published in some section of print media speculating replacement of present chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu, who recently joined BJP along with his team,” said the northeastern state’s BJP chief Tapir Gao in a media statement, in wake of reports in a section of media that Union minister Kiren Rijiju will replace Khandu.
“There is absolutely no question of replacing chief minister Pema Khandu who enjoys full support of entire BJP. We in BJP do not have the culture of high command replacing the political leadership in the state. The speculations so made in a section of media are rumours that are being spread by political opponents, who are playing an outdated trick to confuse people and to vent out their sheer frustration,” he added.
In a strongly worded Facebook post, Kiren Rijiju said that people are trying to create differences by indulging in such gossips on the social media. “People of Arunachal Pradesh have given me a unique mandate… Never before a leader has received such historic and massive support cutting across party lines… My PM has inducted me into his council of ministers and I’ll make him proud by serving the nation,” he wrote.
