BJP regrets non-inclusion of Arunachal in cabinet reshuffle

Itanagar, Jan 21(PTI) The Arunachal Pradesh unit of BJP hasregretted that the Congress-led UPA Government did not inducta single representative from the border state in the newlyreshuffled cabinet.

Arunachal Pradesh has three representatives inParliament - two in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha -all from the ruling Congress party.

While both the Lok Sabha MPs have been responsibleministers in the state government, Rajya Sabha MP Mukut Mithiwas the former chief minister of the state and also held thepost of Governor of Puducherry for a brief period.

In a statement today, the party said that denial of aberth in the recent reshuffle was a major demoralization forthe people of Arunachal Pradesh, especially in the backdrop ofthe recent Chinese claims over the state.

It observed that a berth in the union council ofministers for at least one of the representatives from thestate could have instilled confidence in the people and sent astrong signal outside the country.

The party, however, maintained that the decision onconstitution of the union council of ministers was aprerogative of the Prime Minister and the internal matter ofthe Congress party.