Dimapur:

In his maiden visit to the Northeast after taking over as Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi reviewed the security situation along the China border in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

In his two-day visit to all Corps formations under the Eastern Army Command, including the Dimapur headquartered 3 Corps, Gen Dwivedi was briefed about the present situation in Manipur, which has seen large-scale ethnic violence in the last one year, Army officials told ANI.

The Chief, who started his tour on Thursday, also visited the Tezpur based Gajraj 4 Corps, where he was briefed on the present situation on the Line of Actual Control with China and the operational preparedness there.

He also reviewed the ongoing infrastructure development projects in Sikkim during visit to the Sukna-based 33 Corps headquarters.

The 3 Corps looks after the Rest of Arunachal Pradesh area while the 4 Corps is the formation in charge of looking after the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh.

The 33 Corps with its fighting formations in Sikkim and West Bengal looks after the LAC in Sikkim along with other responsibilities.

The Army Chief was accompanied by the Eastern Army Commander, Lt Gen. RC Tewari, during the visit. This was Gen Dwivedi’s first visit to northeast after taking over as the Chief of Army Staff in June 30.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Arunachal Pradesh:

Following a cloudburst, several areas of Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar city have been inundated, causing significant damage to residents’ property.

Reports indicated that numerous houses and vehicles have been damaged due to the floodwaters. The capital complex witnessed incidents of landslides affecting both vehicle and house premises. Denizens are urged to remain vigilant and cautious amid the inclement weather conditions.

Authorities have been monitoring the situation closely. Efforts are underway to assist affected residents and manage the aftermath of the natural disaster. The local administration has been taking all the necessary steps.

The state of Arunachal Pradesh has been witnessing continuous rainfall. Earlier on Tuesday, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Capital Itanagar announced the immediate closure of the road from Nirjuli to Banderdewa due to severe damage caused by continuous rainfall in the Karsingsa area.

A portion of the road has slid down, and a culvert has been washed away, rendering the route impassable.

After a thorough site inspection by the District Administration, Police, and Highway Department, it was decided to close the affected road segment and divert all traffic via Gumto.

Notably, several landslide incidents have been reported in many places in the state of Arunachal Pradesh following heavy rainfall.

It is noteworthy that the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a weather forecast, stating that heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh in the next five days.

For the next seven days, IMD has forecast that light to moderate rain is very likely to occur at most places in Arunachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has marked its arrival in Maharashtra in regions like Navsari, Jalgaon, Amravati, Chandrapur, and in different regions like Bijapur, Sukma, Malkangiri, Vizianagaram, and Islampur.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Itanagar:

Incessant rain over the past few days had triggered landslides and flood-like situations in various parts of Arunachal Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.

The state capital witnessed landslides at several locations, with waterlogging reported along the Doimuk-Potin Road and several stretches of the Itanagar-Yupia Road.

A portion of NH-415 and a culvert were washed away at Karsingsa sinking zone on Tuesday morning, severing connectivity between Nirjuli and Banderdewa. Vehicular traffic between these areas has been diverted via Gumto Road.

With the IMD forecasting heavy rains in the state capital over the next few days, the district administration has urged residents in vulnerable areas to move to safer locations or designated relief camps. Eight relief camps have been established in the state capital to aid those affected by landslides and flooding, officials said.

Landslides also damaged a few vehicles and a newly constructed house in Banderdewa. Fortunately, no loss of human lives has been reported. Similar reports of landslides have emerged from other districts. Major rivers and their tributaries in the state are in high spate, though still below the danger mark.

West Siang District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Dorjee Nima reported that several hectares of agricultural fields were damaged after water from the Hu stream, a tributary of the Yomgo river, flooded fields in Taba Sora village under Kodum circle. Aalo township also experienced artificial flooding due to an inadequate drainage system, they added.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who also holds the Disaster Management portfolio, convened a meeting on Wednesday with officials to review monsoon preparedness.

“Chaired a review meeting today with the Department of Disaster Management to assess our monsoon preparedness, in the presence of Hon’ble Advisor Disaster Management Shri Nakap Nalo Ji,” Khandu posted on X.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens is our top priority. We are committed to proactive measures and coordinated efforts to effectively manage and mitigate monsoon-related challenges. Let’s stay alert and work together for a resilient Arunachal Pradesh,” the chief minister said.

Khandu has urged citizens to stay safe, take necessary precautions, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay updated on weather advisories, emphasising that the administration is on high alert to ensure everyone’s safety.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Union minister Kiren Rijiju, a veteran of many elections, told NDTV today that the strong support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the country will ensure that the BJP will be back in power for a historic third term, no matter what the Opposition says. The Opposition, he added, will soon have a rude awakening. As the BJP surpasses the prediction of the exit polls, the Congress will be routed in states “where they had some little hope,” he added.

Three exit polls predicted yesterday that the NDA will hit the “400 paar” target.

An aggregate of 12 exit polls indicated that the NDA will get 365 seats, the INDIA bloc will get 146 seats. The BJP’s individual score will be 317 seats and the Congress 61, up from the 52 seats it won in the last general election.

Mr Rijiju, who said last month that the BJP will win 313 seats, did not predict any figure, but his travels made one thing clear.

“Across the country — east, west north south — I have seen a very same kind of pattern… that Narendra Modi has to become the Prime Minister again,” he told NDTV in an exclusive interview. Then he added, ‘I want to go one step further. I think we will cross even the figures given by the exit polls. That is my personal reading power of the people and charismatic leadership of Mr Narendra Modi”.

The Opposition, he said, “to discredit the exit polls, is basically making themselves happy for two days”.

“On the fourth, the result will come. So they are preparing to create some kind of confusion and excuses just to get away from the humiliation they are going to be facing. They will be routed in some of the states where Congress was making big claims. They will be routed in those states where they had some little hope,” he added.

New Delhi:
The verdict of Himalayan states Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh will be out today, as the tenure of their legislative assemblies end and the votes for their parliamentary seats are being counted.

Here are top 10 points on this big story:

Itanagar:

The Arunachal Pradesh Police have arrested 21 people, including government officers, for their alleged involvement in an inter-state prostitution racket, and rescued five minors in the age group of 10-15 years, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested government officers include a deputy superintendent of police and a deputy director of health services, they said.

The minors were being trafficked to the state from Dhemaji in neighbouring Assam by two women (sisters) who run a beauty parlour in Itanagar, Capital Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Rajbir Singh said.

Based on inputs that a prostitution ring involving minor girls is active at Chimpu, near here, the capital police team conducted a raid at the alleged brothel cum residence of two women on May 4 and rescued two minor girls.

The minor girls revealed that they had been brought to Itanagar from Dhemaji, by two sisters, the SP said.

After being trafficked to Itanagar they were forced into prostitution by the sisters along with the two other ladies, the SP said.

The child welfare committee (CWC) was informed and based-on the complaint of the minor girls, a case was registered at the Itanagar women police station and an investigation was initiated.

Consequently, it was learned that two more minor girls trafficked from Dhemaji were in the custody of a woman and were later rescued.

All the women were arrested and they are currently in police custody, while the rescued minor girls are at shelter homes where they are receiving further medical and mental health care, he said.

Police during investigation, arrested six more accused persons, including three pimps and three sexual assailants and recovered one more minor girl from a lodge at Zoo Road at Chimpu, near here on May 11 last, the SP said.

The police team also learned that the accused persons have also trafficked one more minor girl, and the said girl is also a victim child sex trafficking ring. Accordingly, a raid was conducted at a hotel following which the accused persons were arrested.

As many as 10 people involved in the prostitution racket have been arrested, while 11 customers, including five government officers, were arrested, Mr Singh added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Itanagar:

Hours after a BJP leader was kidnapped in Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain on Wednesday said no interference in the poll process by underground elements will be tolerated and stringent action will be initiated against such activities.

Mr Sain’s assertion came following abduction of the BJP leader by insurgents in Longding district and the alleged use of underground elements by a poll contestant in the same district which falls under the Arunachal East Lok Sabha seat.

Inspector General of Police (Law & Order) Chukhu Apa acknowledged the abduction and said that police and paramilitary forces are on the job to rescue the person.

The IGP, however, refused to provide details of the incident.

Longding Deputy Commissioner Bekir Nyorak and Superintendent of Police Dekio Gumja declined to speak.

The northeastern state, which has two Lok Sabha seats, will hold the elections to the parliamentary and 60-member assembly simultaneously on April 19. However, out of the total 60, the ruling BJP already won ten unopposed.

“We have convened a high-level security meeting today to discuss the incident and the deputy commissioners of Longding and Tirap were directed to ensure that there should not be any interference in the poll process by any underground groups,” the CEO told a press conference here.

Assam Rifles and other paramilitary forces have been asked to intensify security measures, Mr Sain said.

Naga insurgents are active in three eastern districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding and they indulge in abduction, extortion and other anti-social activities. In the past few years, several cadres of various insurgent groups have been arrested in the region.

When his attention was drawn to allegations that a candidate in Longding was using insurgents who issued letters to villagers directing them to support the contestant, Mr Sain said if any candidate is found indulging in such activities, the Election Commission would disqualify him.

“A special platoon of central armed police force has reached Longding during the day and already carried out area domination. Around 13,176 personnel of CAPF and state police are working on the ground to conduct peaceful polling in the state,” the CEO said.

He added that since the announcement of polls, as many as 36 law and order incidents have been registered where one person died and another 33 injured.

Mr Sain said that out of the total 2,226 polling stations in the state, 480 polling booths fall under shadow areas, while 588 booths have been identified as critical and 443 as vulnerable.

The official added that as many as 87 inter-state nakas are operational in the state to thwart anti-social elements from outside from trying to disrupt polling.

“We will ensure a free and fair polling without any violence and will not tolerate any violation of model code of conduct. We have already suspended an additional deputy commissioner and a senior government official for favouring candidates,” he said.

The CEO said that on April 15, polling parties were airlifted to four polling stations in remote Kra-Daddi district, while five more groups went to various distant regions on Tuesday.

Out of the total 2,226 polling stations in the state, 228 could be reached only on foot.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The achievements of the Modi government over the past 10 years mean the on-ground situation in Arunachal Pradesh is “very favourable” for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju told NDTV Friday evening.

Mr Rijiju, 52, expressed confidence the BJP will retain the state’s two Lok Sabha seats, and predicted a clean sweep in the Assembly election that will be held simultaneously. 

“In the entire northeast, the wave is very clear. The achievements of the Modi government over the past 10 years have made the situation very favourable for the BJP and its allies.”

“As far as Arunachal Pradesh is concerned, we are confident of winning both seats… by a record margin. The people are aware of the ground situation and want to give Modiji another opportunity. We are likely to perform better than last time… in the Assembly election also, we are likely to make a clean sweep. We will have absolute majority.”

“I have been representing this constituency since 2004, and I feel peoples’ confidence (in the Modi government) has only grown since then,” he told NDTV.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election the BJP picked up the Arunachal West and East seats, and then dominated the state poll. It won 41 of the state’s 60 seats – a jump of 30 from 2014.

Mr Rijiju is the MP from the Arunachal West seat, which he won by defeating the Congress Nabam Tuki by a massive margin of nearly 175,000 votes. He won this seat in 2014 also, beating another Congress candidate – Takam Sanjoy – by over 40,000 votes.

He has been nominated to defend his seat in this election, in which he faces a familiar, and very experienced, rival – the six-time MLA and two-time former Chief Minister Mr Tuki.

On his contest with Mr Tuki, the Union Minister, said, “He is definitely a senior person in Arunachal Pradesh politics and very experienced. So, I won’t take it lightly…”

However, Mr Rijiju underlined the “very favourable” situation for the BJP and said Arunachal would do its bit to ensure the party, and its allies, achieves its target of winning 400+ seats.

“The plan (assuming he is elected for a third term) is very simple… to contribute to state growth. The good news is that a lot of the infrastructure has been built… so now we will focus on skill development and employment for youth. Arunachal is poised for a big leap.”

“In eight to nine years, we will have one of highest per capita incomes of any state in the country. We have all the resources… just need to utilise it and Arunachal will become a favourable economic and tourist destination,” Mr Rijiju said.

The state will vote in both polls on April 19. The results of the parliamentary election will be on June 4. Results for the 60-member state Assembly will be announced two days earlier.

New Delhi:

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the renaming of several areas in Arunachal Pradesh by China and said that the baseless claims made by China will not change the ground reality.

“I strongly condemn China’s illegally ‘standardised’ geographical names given to 30 places inside Arunachal Pradesh. China has been making all baseless claims but that’s not going to change the ground reality and the ‘historical facts’,” he said.

Taking to social media platform X, he wrote, “Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India, and the people of Arunachal Pradesh are supremely patriotic Indians by all standards & definitions.”

Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the renaming of several areas in Arunachal Pradesh by China on Monday and urged the Centre to reprimand the actions of China while calling Beijing’s action “ludicrous”.

Citing a media report that mentioned China’s renaming of several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, Congress chief Kharge said that when China resorts to such provocation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries to seek refuge by creating a false narrative on Katchatheevu.

Notably, the decades-old territorial and fishing rights dispute around Katchatheevu Island is in the limelight ahead of polling in Tamil Nadu for Lok Sabha polls on April 19, with the BJP and the opposition engaged in a war of words over the issue.

PM Modi on Monday targeted the Congress party and DMK over the Katchatheevu island issue. He said that Congress “callously” gave away the island. He also alleged the ruling party of Tamil Nadu did “nothing” to safeguard the state’s interests.

“Eye-opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away #Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds–we can’t ever trust Congress! Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting,” PM Modi said in a post on X on Sunday, referring to a media report.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Itanagar:

A remnant of the British Raj, the Auxiliary Labour Corps (ALCs), also known as porters, still act as vital links between election personnel and people in Arunachal Pradesh as they are tasked with carrying polling materials, ration items and transporting EVMs to remote areas of the mountainous state, officials said. Around 3,000 ALCs are being deployed this time to assist polling parties to reach 228 booths in the state, which are almost inaccesible they said.

“We are dependent on them to transport election materials to inaccessible polling stations where foot march is required,” Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain said.

Trekking the rugged and almost inaccessible terrains of the state, ALCs serve as a bridge between the government and the people and ensure that the polling process goes smoothly, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu said.

The ALCs were first appointed by the British to carry materials. After Arunachal Pradesh attained statehood in 1987, the regular appointment of ALCs was stopped. They are now recruited temporarily.

Services of ALCs are required at the time of transporting public distribution system (PDS) materials and opening new administrative centres during polls, Koyu said.

In 2019, the election office hired 2,100 ALCs, while 1,400 were deployed during the 2014 elections, the officials said.

“Around 3,000 ALCs will be inducted this time to assist polling personnel in 228 polling stations in the state,” he said Besides, casual labourers would also be deployed to assist election personnel.

The ALCs are being deployed by the respective district election officers (DEO), depending on the requirement, Koyu added.

Declaration of results gets delayed in several seats as EVMs are transported by ALCs to the counting centres, which generally involves more than three days of arduous trekking.

Arunachal Pradesh has 228 remote and almost-inaccessible polling stations, where election officials have to undertake extensive journeys on foot.

Of these, 61 will require a two-day walk, while seven will need three-day trekking.

In response to the logistical challenges, the state election machinery has planned to deploy a minimum of four ALCs for each of the 228 polling stations, Koyu said, acknowledging the pivotal role the unsung heroes play in facilitating the democratic process in the state.

Arunachal Pradesh will go to simultaneous polls for two Lok Sabha and 60 assembly constituencies on April 19.

Counting of votes for assembly polls would be held on June 2 and for Lok Sabha on June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)