Leaders of four political parties in Arunachal Pradesh have lodged a police complaint against chief minister Pema Khandu and Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju over the recent Kimin incident.
In its complaint filed at the Kimin police station on July 1, leaders of Congress, Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (Secular) and People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA), mentioned about renaming of Kimin under Papum Pare district in Arunachal Pradesh as Assam’s Bilgarh by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
The complaint alleged Khandu and Rijiju of wilful violation of several laws and Constitution. Border Roads Organisation had covered Arunachal’s name with white paste during defence minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to the town on June 17 to inaugurate 20-km Kimin-Potin road and 11 other roads.
The parties alleged that Khandu and Rijiju had violated the Arunachal Pradesh Statehood Act of 1987, Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act of 1873 (Restricted Area Permit-RAP), Arunachal Pradesh (Land Settlement & Record ) Act of 2000, besides fraudulent contempt of Article 3 in the Constitution of India and illegal attempt to distort/alter the territory of Arunachal Pradesh.
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“The Kimin-Potin road inauguration itinerary and intimation letter dated June 12 of BRO to DC Yupia showed Kimin as Bilgarh in Assam. But, unfortunately, no corrective measures were taken by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh despite the fact that CM Pema Khandu had meeting with chief engineer, BRO on June 14, three days prior to the road inauguration programme,” the complainants said.
They further said that Khandu had accepted that he was aware of the “white paste mishap” and he had informed the same to Rijiju, who was traveling with the defence minister.
However, till date no statement and clarification has been made by either of them, the complainants said.
‘Fear psychosis among citizens of Kimin’
“The chain of events, therefore have caused tensions, problems, confusions, insecurity, disharmony, hatred and fear psychosis among the citizens of Kimin and the state as a whole,” they said.
It may be mentioned here that BRO, country’s premier road construction agency, had apologised “unconditionally” to the people of Arunachal Pradesh over the Kimin episode, last week.
“The unfortunate incident is nothing more than an inadvertent mistake, just happened in the pressure of organising the event while racing against the time. In no way, BRO had even an iota of malafide intention of hurting the sentiments of people of Arunachal Pradesh. It should be taken as an unconditional apology, due to the emotive connect that BRO has with people of the state,” PKH Singh, additional director general Border Roads (East) had said.
