Arunachal Pradesh Protest Latest Update: In the wake of the protests, the state government temporarily suspended internet services in the Itanagar capital region from 6 pm of Friday to 5 pm of Sunday in the interest of public safety.
APPSC Paper Leak Latest Update: Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh’s capital city, witnessed a violent protest on the second day on Saturday against the recent leak in the question paper of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission examination. During the protests, the agitators blocked the highway and asked for the fulfillment of the 13-point charter of demands of the Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee-APPSC. In the meantime, the security forces were deployed and barricades were erected around the Civil Secretariat, Raj Bhawan and Arunachal Pradesh Legislative assembly as the law and order situation deteriorated in Itanagar.
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Normal life came to standstill in Itanagar as the ‘public’ bandh entered the second day. In the Capital Complex comprising – Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, business establishments, markets, banks, educational institutions, government and private offices remained closed and vehicles kept off the road, a senior police officer said. Thousands of protestors blocked the NH-415 by burning tyres.
In the wake of the protests, the state government temporarily suspended internet services in the Itanagar capital region from 6 pm of Friday to 5 pm of Sunday in the “interest of public safety”.
The state government in an official order said the step was taken at the request of the director general of police to “prevent further occurrence of serious law and order problems during the bandh which has taken a serious turn after destruction of police barricades, lathicharge and firing of tear gas shells”.
Several protestors and police personnel were injured in subsequent clashes on Friday, which compelled the police to resort to lathicharge and to lob tear gas shells, officials said.
The state government on Friday postponed the state board exams for class 5, 7 and 11, scheduled on Saturday.
The Committee is demanding that all exams conducted by APPSC of which question papers were allegedly leaked be declared null and void, immediate arrest of the former Commission chairman, secretary, members and other officers, a court-monitored and Enforcement Directorate probe into the fiasco and immediate dismissal of state government officers involved in it.
It also demanded that the recruitment examination be henceforth conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, the report of the three-member committee on AE (Civil) paper leak be made public, the three state government officers posted under APPSC be recalled and all candidates be given compensation of Rs five lakh each.
(With inputs from agencies)
