Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Dec 28: The Capital Complex district administration (DA) has taken six volunteers, including some members of the Abo Tani Clan Organisation (ATCO), into preventive custody in a major crackdown on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner Prince Dhawan gave this information at a hurriedly convened press briefing in the civil secretariat’s Press Information Centre on Thursday afternoon.
The people of the Capital Complex have rejected the bandh call and gave assurance that they would defy it, Chief Secretary in-charge, Marnya Ete, and the DC told press persons.
The ATCO had declared a 12-hour capital bandh on Friday to protest the state government’s alleged failure to meet its demands.
“Some members of the ATCO have been detained under preventive measures, but the main leaders are absconding,” the DC informed, and appealed to anyone with any information on the absconding members to inform the DC or the SP.
“Since the main leaders are absconding, the bandh itself falls apart,” the DC said.
He added that those who are absconding would be arrested shortly “as they failed to accept the offer to negotiate to find an amicable solution to the issue.”
The state government has already termed the bandh illegal and said the bandh callers would be dealt with with an iron hand.
Security personnel also conducted a flag march in Itanagar to instil a sense of security and reassure the public.
Briefing the media, the DC informed that the business community, along with bankers and the transport federation, as well as market welfare committees have rejected the bandh call and vowed to defy it. He also said he has received letters from a few organisations assuring they would “reject the bandh call.”
As part of the action initiated against the bandh callers, the DC said, they would be legally bound to compensate for the losses incurred during the bandh hours.
The chief secretary in-charge also asserted that strong action would be initiated against the bandh callers, and appealed to the government and semi-government establishments to ensure full attendance of their employees.
Ete appealed to the ATCO’s members to refrain from announcing bandh calls, as it causes untold miseries to the public.
Meanwhile, the DA has started an online signature campaign against bandh calls. Dhawan said anyone who desires to defy bandh calls may click on the link on the official web page http://itanagar.nic.in/voteagainstbandh.html and vote.
Meanwhile, the Capital Complex Commercial Building Owner’s Welfare Association (CCCBOWA) has requested the business community in Naharlagun not to panic over the proposed bandh call of the Abo Tani Clan Organisation on Friday.
Urging shopkeepers not to down their shutters, the CCCBOWA said action would be taken against shopkeepers who are also tenants of the commercial buildings’ owners.