Arunachal MP condemns attack on police personnel, blames state govt. for lawlessness

Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Oct 06 (ANI): Arunachal Pradesh (West) Member of Parliament Takam Sanjoy on Thursday condemned Wednesday's attack on police personnel and civilians at Roing, the headquarters of the state's Lower Dibang Valley district.

Demanding a judicial inquiry into the incident, Sanjoy said: "There has been total breakdown of the law and order in the state and the present state government is not able to handle the situation."

He specifically said that Chief Minister Gamlin was not able to bring the overall law and order situation under control.

The state is in the throes of political and leadership crisis, besides a law and order problem for some months now.

A cross-section of Congress leaders from that state have said that the general public is dismayed over recent political developments and expects Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to undertake damage control measures at the earliest.

The infighting within the Arunachal Pradesh Congress unit is now out in the open and party legislators are getting polarized.

One section of the party remains loyal to incumbent Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin, while another segment is supporting Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee president and Public Works Department Minister Nabam Tuki.

Leaders of both camps were recently in New Delhi trying to convince the central Congress leadership about their credibility.

In Wednesday's incident, nine police personnel and equal number of youths, including a woman, were injured in clashes followed by police firing.

Superintendent of Police Benu Bansal told over telephone today that the magistrate on duty during the prayers at Roing market witnessed groups of youth boozing and gambling, officially permitted for the occasion.

However, despite repeated warnings and repeated extension of time after the given timing was over, the gambling continued.

At around 9.15 in the evening, the magistrate called in additional forces. The magistrate and police personnel were then attacked by about 60-70 youths armed with sharp weapons (Daos), bottles and few guns, Bansal said.

Bansal informed that IRBn and Special Task Force (STF) had to 'fire in air in self defence' in which five youths were injured, including one received bullet injuries.

Another sources, however, said that nine school and college students, including a civilian were injured and treated at the local district hospital before being shifted to Dibrugarh in Assam for treatment on Wednesday night.

A source said that some unknown underground element had served notice for ransom and threatened dire consequences during the prayers if their demand was not met.

The state's Home Minister Takar Marde and police chief Kanwaljit Deol air-dashed to Roing this afternoon to assess the situation. (ANI)