Itanagar, Oct 11: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu will arrive here today to address a public meeting, state BJP spokesman Khiren Rijiju said earlier in the month. Rijiju said he had a detailed telephonic discussion with Union Minister of State for Home Affairs (incharge of North East) Swami Chinmayananda over the Chakma-Hajong issue. Swami, who had met Advani to clear misunderstanding caused by the latter's reported views on the Chakma-Hajong issue, had told him that the Deputy Prime Minister did not mean granting of citizenship status to the Chakmas and Hajongs in Arunachal Pradesh when he referred to it, Rijiju said in a statement. Advani had only said that he would find out what action the Arunachal Pradesh government had taken with regard to the Supreme Court order, Swami told him, Rijiju said. Chief Minister Geogong Apang, who recently joined the BJP, was critical of the reported advice of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani to the Arunachal Pradesh government to protect Chakma refugees in the state in view of the eviction notices served to them by the All Arunachal Students Union.

''When Indians cannot stay in Arunachal without obtaining innerline permit, how can foreigners?'' he had told reporters.

Advani had written on September 01 to Rajya Sabha MP Swaraj Kaushal who brought the issue to his notice.

The Deputy Prime Minister had referred to a Supreme Court order of January 09, 1996 that individual Chakma and Hajong people would not be evicted on the ground that they were not Indian citizens until the government took a decision on their application for citizenship.

He had said in his letter that the Arunachal government has been asked to ensure that the court order was honoured in "letter and spirit".

Bureau Report