Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Aug 12: Newly-appointed Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Nabam Tuki on Monday said the Congress is committed to work hard to strengthen the party in the state.
Addressing press persons at Rajiv Gandhi Congress Bhavan here after being accorded a warm reception by party workers, Tuki said, “We are committed to work hard to strengthen the Congress party in the state.”
Former chief minister Tuki was recently again given the charge of leading the state Congress. This is his third term as the APCC president.
“My experiences will contribute to the party and to the greater interest of the state” he said, and expressed gratitude to former AICC president Rahul Gandhi “for appointing me as the APCC president and MLA Lombo Tayeng as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader.”
Tuki also congratulated Sonia Gandhi on being elected as the interim president of the Congress Working Committee. “I hope she will boost the morale of the party,” he said.
The Congress could win only four seats in the last assembly election in Arunachal, which was one of the worst performances in the state’s electoral history.
Highlighting the party’s contribution towards the growth of Arunachal, Tuki said, “Whatever developments are being seen today were given by the Congress during UPA-I and UPA-II.”
He added: “All the legislators in the BJP are Congressmen. If the Congress comes back power at the Centre, they will come back to the Congress.”
Tuki meanwhile expressed concern over the manner in which the central government handled the Jammu & Kashmir issue.
“We are saddened by the manner in which the Centre downsized Jammu & Kashmir into union territories. Tomorrow, it may snatch our (Arunachal Pradesh) special status too,” he said.
“All communication has been shut, and the media – both print and electronic – and internet service have been shut down. How can people be happy under such circumstances?” Tuki questioned the BJP government.
Referring to Arunachal’s special status, Tuki asserted that the Congress would fight tooth and nail if the BJP attempted to bring the citizenship amendment bill or revoked the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.
The APCC president was accompanied by CLP leader Tayeng, MLAs Wanglin Lowangdong and Ninong Ering, and former APCC president Takam Sanjoy.
