ITANAGAR, May 21: Following the ambush on and assassination of the National People’s Party’s (NPP) Khonsa West MLA candidate Tirong Aboh and ten others by suspected NSCN militants in Tirap district on Tuesday morning, Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed extreme anguish and shock over the incident and promised befitting action against the perpetrators.
“The barbaric and inhuman act of such magnitude is rare and not acceptable,” the CM said in a message, and gave assurance that all possible measures would be taken to nab the culprits and give them exemplary punishment.
Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP national president, Conrad K Sangma, also took to his Twitter handle to condemn the assassination of his party’s MLA candidate and others, and urged union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and
the prime minister’s office to take action against those responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, the NPP candidate for Liromoba in West Siang district, Jarpum Gamlin, has claimed on social media that the recent arrest of a contract killer, Vijay Farmaana, from Lucknow (UP), revealed that a politician in Arunachal had paid Farmaana to kill a rival.
Gamlin urged the chief minister and the chief secretary to reveal the name of politician who had paid the contract killer, and to provide adequate security to the targeted leader.
The state NPP’s ‘contesting candidate coordination committee’ co-convener and party candidate from the Dambuk assembly constituency, Tony Pertin, condemned the brutal killings, and requested the Meghalaya CM to take up the matter with the prime minister and the home minister.
“Strict action should be taken against the underground groups involved in the horrific killings of so many innocent people,” Pertin said.
He sought foolproof security for the candidates contesting from Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, especially for those contesting on NPP tickets.
Pertin also sought adequate compensation for the deceased.
Governor BD Mishra also expressed deep grief and condolences over the tragic deaths. He said the state government is resolved to deal firmly with the situation and “the perpetrators of the crime will, sooner than later, have to suffer the consequences of their sins.”
Mishra prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls, and for fortitude for the bereaved families to bear their irreparable loss.
He appealed to the people of the state, particularly in the insurgency-affected areas, to help maintain peace and stand by the families of the victims.
Also condemning the assassination of the sitting MLA, state BJP president Tapir Gao in a release said “this cowardly criminal act is a murder of democracy and has no place in a civilized society. The BJP, Arunachal Pradesh, strongly appeals to the authority to investigate the matter thoroughly and take stringent action against the perpetrators of the heinous crime.”
The state BJP also conveyed its condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased MLA, and appealed to the people of Tirap to maintain peace at this sensitive juncture.
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) also strongly condemned the gruesome attack on the entourage of Tirong Aboh which led to his assassination along with the killing of several others, including his son.
“The ambush leading to the demise of Aboh seems to be politically instigated,” the AAPSU stated in a release, and strongly urged both the state and the central governments to “launch immediate operations to nab all those antisocial elements involved in gruesome murder of Aboh and other members.”
“Such act of violence shall never be acceptable in a civilized society like ours, and we urge everyone to shun violence and antisocial activities in our state,” it said.
The union questioned how long the people of Tirap, Longding and Changlang (TLC) districts must suffer “due to the terror created by such antisocial elements and insurgents,” referring to the recent killing of former ZPM Seliam Wangsa by suspected insurgents in Longding, and the killing of political worker Jaley Anna in a similar manner during an NPP election rally.
The union demanded initiating a high-level investigation into all election-related killings and violence in the TLC region.
The Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society (APLS), led by its president YD Thongchi, also condemned the dastardly killing of Aboh and 10 others by underground elements.
“This has sent a terrifying message about the revival of insurgency after peace prevailed for a long time in those three districts,” the APLS said.
Conveying condolences to the bereaved families and praying for eternal peace of the departed souls, the APLS pled for peace in the state to enable its faster development.
“In his demise, the entire state has lost a proud son whose vacuum shall be very hard to fill,” it said.
Senior Congress leader and Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot also condemned the killing.
