Dissident Congress MLAs from Arunachal Pradesh today said that Governor J P Rajkhowa has acted within his constitutional powers by summoning the session of the state Assembly.
"BJP MLAs in the House had moved a proposal to impeach Speaker Nabam Rebia and no notification regarding this was issued by the Speaker during the stipulated period of 14 days. It was only after the stipulated period was over that the Governor summoned the House," dissident MLA Kalikho Pul told reporters here.
The Governor has summoned the House under Article 174 (Clause 1) of the Constitution and he has the power to summon the House as and when he deems fit, he said.
"The Governor has both discretionary and guiding role and he is protecting the integrity of the Constitution," he added.
The Gauhati High Court had stayed the decision of the Governor to advance the Assembly session from January 14 next year to December 16 and the proceedings of the House in the makeshift premises.
"The matter is sub-judice and we will not say much about it but will appeal against the order in the High Court. We want the Court to give us a chance to explain and we have full faith in the judiciary," he added.
Pul also alleged that the Governor is "under threat and is not safe in the Raj Bhawan. The state DGP and Chief Secretary are not listening to him and so how can the common people be safe in the state?
"The whole world has seen how the ministers owing allegiance to Chief Minister Nabam Tuki have misbehaved with the Governor and used unparliamentary language inside the Raj Bhawan. Their supporters have held dharnas and blocked roads with a patient dying on way to the hospital," he said.
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Sharpening his attack against Nabam Tuki, Pul said that the political crisis is "not just a political struggle", but a culmination of several months of protest against the alleged financial irregularities committed by Tuki.
"This is just not a case of political struggle or who will become the chief minister but the state is facing a financial crisis following various irregularities and scams involving Tuki and his family members," Pul alleged.
Arunachal Pradesh, along with several small states of the Northeast, are dependent on central funds for development and from 2013 to June this year, the state has received Rs 6,916 crore from the Centre.
"Some work has been done but most of the funds have been diverted to the account of the chief minister and his close family members, he alleged.
He further alleged that funds received from the NEC, DONER and centrally-sponsored schemes have been also diverted at regular intervals.
"Three RTI applications were filed regarding diversion of funds received from the National Disaster Relief Fund but all three replies had different figures and there are already two PIL's pending in the Gauhati High Court against the CM and his family members in this regard," he said.
Tuki had floated bogus firms. Work orders were given without floating tenders and no government procedures and rules were followed while funds were allotted, Pul alleged.
Government employees are not getting their salaries, students have not got their stipends for the last nine months and no payment has been made to marginal contractors and if, in some cases, it has been made, the cheques have bounced, the dissident leader claimed.
Moreover, there is a non-bailable case pending against Speaker Nabam Rebia filed by a woman complainant and "we have also demanded an inquiry into it".
Pul said he, along with 21 Congress MLAs, have come to Guwahati to appeal for vacating the stay order against the Governor's decision to advance the Assembly session and present their explanation before the Court as "we have not been given a chance to explain".
