ITANAGAR: The PUBLIC bandh called by the Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC-APPSC) affected normal life in Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar on Saturday. The bandh was called to press for fulfillment of 13-point charter of demands related to the alleged leak of the Arunachal Pradesh PSC question paper entered the second day. In the Capital Complex including - Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, markets, banks, business establishments, educational institutions, government and private offices remained closed and vehicles kept off the road, a senior police officer said. Thousands of protestors blocked the NH-415 by burning tyres.
In the "interest of public safety," the government temporarily shut off internet access in the capital area of Itanagar from 6 p.m. on Friday until 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The government order said, the action was taken at the director general of police's request in order to "prevent further occurrence of serious law and order problems during the bandh, which has taken a serious turn after destruction of police barricades, lathicharge, and firing of tear gas shells."
Scores of protestors and police officials were injured in subsequent clashes on Friday, which compelled the police to resort to lathicharge and to lob tear gas shells, officials said.
The Chief Minister Pema Khandu decided to postpone the swearing-in of the chairman and members of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) on Friday due to the circumstance. On Saturday, he also invited the PAJSC-APPSC members to the civil secretariat for a conversation. The protesters, however, declined the invitation, stating that the bandh would continue until all requests were met.
The State board exams for classes 5, 7, and 11 that were set for Saturday were postponed by the State government on Friday.
The State government on Friday postponed the State board exams for class V, VII and XI scheduled on Saturday.
The Committee is calling for the cancellation of all APPSC exams in which question papers are alleged to have been leaked, the immediate arrest of the former Commission chairman, secretary, members, and other officers, an investigation into the scandal by the Enforcement Directorate under court supervision, and the immediate dismissal of any State government employees involved.
Additionally, it demanded that the Union Public Service Commission conduct recruitment exams going forward, that the three-member committee's report on the AE (Civil) paper leak be made public, that the three state government officers posted under APPSC be recalled, and that all candidates receive compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each.
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