Arunachal Pradesh: Nyishi Elite Society (NES) president Bengia Tolum on Monday demanded an apology from Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul for the infamous audio clip that had given the year-long political tussle between Pul and Nabam Tuki a communal hue.
In December last year, at the peak of the power struggle, an audio clip was circulated where a man alleged to be Pul is heard making derogatory comments against the Nyishi community. While there have been claims that the man heard in the audio clip is not Pul, Tolum insisted insisted that the man is the current chief minister.
Speaking to reporters in Itanagar, the NES president stated that if Pul doesn’t beg for a public apology then he should step down to facilitate free and fair inquiry over the issue which should be headed by a sitting high court judge. He has also threatened to launch legal and democratic action against Pul if he doesn’t seek a public apology.
Adding that NES will not rest till the issue is resolved and that it will not let the issue die a natural death, Tolum said that the person(s) involved in the audio clip should be arrested for further information. He informed that in the full version, which is 1 hour 55 minutes long, a person named Vinodesh Bansal, a Gurgaon-based businessman, can also be heard giving his phone number and email address, reported North East Today.
Meanwhile, the NES has objected to the ‘clean chit’ given to Pul by Likha Maj over the issue during a conference on May 25 last. Tolum said that Maj may exercise his individual democratic right to express his opinion but that should not be at the cost of a community’s dignity. NES stated that they do not endorse accepting the donation amount of Rs 5 lakhs from Maj for Seppa fire victims while stating that his action was not in humanitarian ground but on self interest. The society however added that they have no issue if EKSCWO accepts the same.