The Arunachal Pradesh government has ordered a judicial probe into the large-scale rioting, violence and vandalism that took place following the recent PRC protests, which resulted in the death of three youth, injuries and huge loss of public and private properties.
Speaking during the state BJP council meeting in Itanagar on March 5, chief minister Pema Khandu said that justice will be served to the bereaved families and people responsible for causing violence in the state capital will be brought before the law.
He said the probe will be made by a committee headed by a retired judge to ensure thorough and impartial inquiry so that real picture of the PRC protest could be unearthed and appropriate actions taken against people behind the violence.
Further clarifying that the state government had never intended to move a resolution or bill in the assembly over PRC, Khandu said that the matter was to be brought in the assembly only for discussion during the short hour discussion and to make the recommendations of JHPC on PRC public. “After the JHPC recommendations had been made public, the state govt had planned to call wider public consultation involving all stakeholders, CBOs, student organizations and other bodies,” Khandu said. “However, the issue was misinterpreted causing unrest among the public,” he added.
Sensing the unrest, Khandu said a statement was issued in social media stating that PRC matter will not be taken up further. Despite such assurance, large scale rioting and vandalism of govt and public properties took place, which meant that the anti-social elements had taken control over the protest with political motive.
Khandu further informed that the matter of PRC to non-APST communities of Namsai and Changlang districts has been forever scrapped and a gazette notification has been published effecting the same.
