Arunachal crisis: HC admits review plea; Students to protest against rebels

In yet another twist to the political crisis in Arunachal Pradesh, the Gauhati High Court on Monday asked Arunachal Pradesh Speaker Nabam Rebia not to exercise his powers till January 4.

Justice B K Sharma issued the order while admitting a review petition filed by Deputy Speaker T N Thongdok challenging the December 17 order by another single judge bench. The court had stayed all orders issued by Governor J P Rajkhowa and the Deputy Speaker till February 1.

On Monday, the HC said that Assembly session cannot be held till January 4, the next date for hearing the review petition filed by 20 rebel Congress MLAs, 11 BLP MLAs and the governor.

The political crisis is now engulfed in a judicial see-saw battle with the Gauhati HC hearing a writ petition and review petition of the issue.

On December 16 ,   21 Congress MLAs , 11 BJP MLAs and 2 Independent MLAs met at a community hall at Naharlagun on the outskirts of state capital Itanagar for a ‘make-shift’ Assembly session and  impeached’ the Speaker.

The next day, 33 MLAs held the Assembly session in a City Hotel and passed a ‘no confidence motion’ against Chief Minister Nabam Tuki. They elected Kalikho Pul as Chief Minister designate, but the HC has put a cap on the ‘proceedings’ till it hears the writ petition filed by the Speaker on February 2.

Meanwhile, the powerful Nyishi Elite Society (NES) , the apex body of the Nyishi tribal community has called for a massive protest in Itanagar on December 22 to demand removal of Rajkhowa and leader of the dissident camp Kalikho Pul.

The agitation is supported by All Nyishi Students’ Union. Tuki and Rebia are from the same community. Meanwhile, security has been tightened across Arunachal Pradesh in the view of the protests.