Arunachal govt 'smells rat' in AR-NSCN(IM) ambush in Tirap

Itanagar, Oct 30: Despite NSCN(IM)'s denial of their alleged involvement in the October 25 ambush in Konsa under Arunachal's Tirap district, where four people, including three Assam Rifles(AR) personnel were killed, the state government today claimed that the incident was the handiwork of the outfit in connivance with a senior Congress leader.

Government spokesman and Water Resources Department Minister Tako Dabi, quoting intelligence inputs told a press conference here this evening that the incident was suspected to be the handiwork of a senior disgruntled Congress leader, to dislodge the Dorjee Khandu government.

''The state government has come to the conclusion that a senior party leader is using ultras, possibly the NSCN(IM) cadres, to create panic among the elected leaders and the people of the district,'' he claimed, while declining to disclose the name of the leader.

The government was still keeping strong vigil over the incident and trying to arrive at the truth as soon as possible, he informed and added that the matter has already been reported to the party's High Command and Union Home Ministry.

''Telephone calls from underground outfits, asking them to dislodge the present government, were a regular feature in the lives of these legislators of Tirap and Changlang,'' he alleged and added that these were futile exercises of a few disgruntled leaders within the party, trying to destabilize the popular government.

Informing that the state government had already announced an exgratia amount of Rs 50,000 to all the three AR personnel and one lakh for the civilian who died in the incident.

Mr Dabi said that requests have already been made to the Centre for deployment of additional forces in Tirap and Changlang districts which would be done at the earliest.

Condemning the incident in the strongest terms, the government spokesman said that nexus between the ultras and politicians was unfortunate for a peaceful state like Arunachal.

''We would like to see that peace and harmony prevails permanently in every nook and corner of the state and the state government has nothing to do with any underground organisations of the region,'' he commented and appealed the insurgent outfits, active in the state, not to repeat such heinous crimes, that too against the security forces, who have been dedicatedly working for peace and progress of the state.

UNI