APCC files bribery case against ex-Arunachal finance minister

Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has filed a bribery-related case against dissident party MLA and former Arunachal Pradesh finance minister Kalikho Pul.

In a statement issued here, the general secretary of the APCC, Tachu Hina, said that complaint has been filed by Tadar Nanang, the Co-Convenor of the legal cell of the APCC.

In what is being seen here as a move by the Nabam Tuki-led Congress state government to crack down on indiscipline and dissidence within the rank and file of the party and the government, Nanang has accused Pul of hatching a well-planned criminal conspiracy with his accomplices to dislodge a democratically-elected government.

Nanang has also claimed in his complaint that Pul has been attempting to malign the reputation of Chief Minister Tuki and his government, and conspiring to engineer defections from the Congress Party with the intention to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The FIR filed at the Itanagar Police Station on Friday, is accompanied with communication details of Pul having conversations with top-level business tycoon Romeo Neog of Assam wherein he is seeking financial backing for payment of bribes to prospective rebel MLAs and seeking of illegal gratification.

According to the APCC press statement, the conversation reveals Pul admitting to having a nexus with BJP president Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several members of the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS).

Nanang has also alleged that both the BJP and the RSS are pumping funds to make the conspiracy to unseat Chief Minister Tuki and his government a success.

He also said that Governor J.P. Rajkhowa’s interference in the functioning of the government and the state assembly was a clear indication of this move to unseat the incumbent state government. (ANI)