There was chaos outside the Chief Minister’s bungalow in Itanagar on Tuesday as sympathisers turned angry for ‘betraying’ ex-CM Kalikho Pul, who allegedly committed suicide.
This morning Mr. Pul’s body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room in the Chief Minister’s bungalow where he used to practice yoga. He was yet to vacate the official bungalow.
By noon, hundreds of people had gathered outside the bungalow to pay their respects. However, the situation soon turned volatile as they began voicing their anger and blamed the current crop of legislators for betraying Mr. Pul, with some even calling for Mr. Khandu’s resignation.
Some of them also set fire to the coffin that was brought for his body, claiming that the plywood coffin was “not worthy of a popular CM like Pul.”
The mob later vandalised the official residences of Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and State Industries Minister Tapang Taloh that are adjacent to the CM bungalow.
After almost a year-long rebellion he led with dissident Congress MLAs in tow, Mr. Pul (47) became the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh in February, but only for a little over four months after President’s Rule was lifted. His stint was cut short on July 13 when the Supreme Court reinstated Nabam Tuki as Chief Minister. Following the order, Mr. Pul and other rebel MLAs, who had joined the regional People’s Party of Arunachal, went back to the Congress and elected Pema Khandu as the CLP leader. Mr. Khandu took over as Chief Minister after Mr. Tuki offered to resign. Mr. Pul had attended Khandu’s swearing-in ceremony on July 17, and was even seen sitting beside his rival Mr. Tuki and sharing lighter moments with him.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Chief Minister’s office quoted Mr. Khandu as saying that he was shocked by the news: “It pains my heart to write to you at this moment of extreme grief. I humbly endure to share with you the saddest times of your life though I know that it would be hard to do so and ease the pain you and your family are going through.
“The news of sad demise of Late Shri Kalikho Pul, has come as shock to me. Shri Pul was a seasoned and veteran leader who served the state in various capacities. Besides proving his calibre as the longest serving finance minister, his hard work and dedication made him one of the tallest leaders of the State. He was a kind hearted and down to earth personality which touched the hearts of millions. His good deeds, especially his compassionate approach towards the needy, fetched him great name and respect,” the statement said.
(Ranju Dodum is an Itanagar-based journalist)
