Former Arunachal CM quits BJP, says the leadership “hates decentralisation”

Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Gegong Apang on Tuesday resigned from the party, saying it was no longer following the principles of the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"I am disappointed to see that the present day BJP is no longer following the principles of the late Vajpayeeji," Apang said in his resignation letter sent to BJP President Amit Shah.

"The party is now a platform to seek power, it serves a leadership which hates decentralisation or democratic decision making and no longer believes (in the values) the party was founded for," he added.

Apang said the Bharatiya Janata Party did not get the people's mandate in 2014 in Arunachal Pradesh.

"But the BJP leadership used every dirty trick in the trade and installed the late Kalikho Pul as Chief Minister. Despite an adverse Supreme Court ruling, a BJP government was reinstalled.

"Neither a proper investigation was done in Pul's suicide nor the present BJP leadership thought of morality and ethics by installing many more BJP governments in the northeast," said Apang.

He said that during the state level executive committee meeting held on November 10 and 11 at Pasighat, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav did not allow many members and office bearers to place their views.

"The decision to put Pema Khandu's name as Chief Minister before the election is neither the norm nor the tradition that a cadre-based party like BJP had followed. The BJP in the past has always asked the views of legislature and party members and then decided on leadership issues. Such undemocratic practices are not for the parties that grew under the leadership of Advani, Vajpayee, B.S. Shekawat, Kushabhau Thakre, Madan Lal Khurana, Rajmata Scindia and Sikandar Bakhl," he added.

"From issues like grass-root delivery of government schemes to matters like Naga peace talks, Chakma-Hajong issue, amendments of Citizenship Bill, telecommunications and real time digital connectivity to peaceful and cordial relation with neighbours like Bangladesh, Myanmar and China, both the party and the Modi government are not addressing the real issues," he said.

Apang appealed to Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remember the teachings of Vajpayee about 'Raj Dharma' and then he said history will judge them.