Former Arunachal Pradesh CM quits BJP

Guwahati: Former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Gegong Apang quits Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after switching from the Congress to the BJP for four years saying that the party has become a platform to seek power.

The former Chief Minister has sent a two-page resignation letter to the BJP Chief Amit Shah on 15th January. He wrote in the letter that he was disappointed to see that the BJP no longer follows the principles of Raj Dharam rather the party has turned into a platform to seek power, serves a leadership which hates decentralization of democratic decision.

He also mentioned that in 2014, the party has used very dirty politics to make Kalikho Pul the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh and that the BJP government was reinstalled despite an adverse Supreme Court ruling. He further added, "Neither a proper investigation was done on Pul's suicide nor the present BJP leadership thought of morality and ethics by installing many more BJP governments in the Northeastern region."

He also said that the decision to put Pema Khandu's name as Chief Minister before the election is neither the norm nor the tradition of the cadre-based party and asked Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to learn Raj Dharam as the history will judge their deeds.

The 69-year-old resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and welcoming Mr. Apang's decision, state Congress Chief Takam Sanjoy said it reflected the true colours of BJP.

"From issues like grass-root delivery of government schemes to matters like Naga peace talks, Chakma-Hajong issue, amendments of Citizenship Bill, telecommunications and real time digital connectivity to peaceful and cordial relation with neighbours like Bangladesh, Myanmar and China, both the party and the Modi government are not addressing the real issues," he said.

Congress legislator Takam Pario said the BJP applies “use and throw” policy to everyone. He alleged Mr. Apang’s resignation is a slap on the BJP’s face.

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